Duane Vermeulen

DHL Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen has not improved significantly enough to feature in the 1st Round of Super Rugby playoffs.

The Stormers host the Brumbies at DHL Newlands on Saturday and the burly Springbok will not be considered.

Should the Stormers beat the Brumbies at Newlands, they would travel to Sydney to face the Waratahs in the semifinals.

Vermeulen, who has missed the Stormers’ last 2 games with a bulging neck disc that at one stage threatened his World Cup prospects, is making “good progress” on the road to recovery.

However, coach Allister Coetzee said that the improvement is “not enough” for this week.

“Hopefully, going forward, there is still an opportunity for him,” Coetzee told a media scrum at the team’s training base.

He added that the 2nd and 3rd opinions on the injury were the same as the 1st.

“It is now about getting Duane to be pain free and improve his range of movements – those are the biggest issues,” the coach said.

“He is coming along nicely. Another week or 2, who knows.”

Coetzee said they will not take any chances and rush the Bok back too soon.

“We want to be absolutely sure and not set him back again,” he said, adding: “As soon as he is pain free, he will start with his cardio sessions.

“Only thereafter will he get onto the field and have some contact.

“The big thing is to make sure the player is mentally comfortable – that is the biggest issue, he has to get over that mental barrier.”

Coetzee said he wouldn’t rule Vermeulen out completely of playing again this season.

“Duane will want to play, so we have to get the balance right.”

(rugby365)

Ireland stalwart Paul O’Connell, England prop Matt Stevens and South Africa back-rower Duane Vermeulen have all signed for European champions Toulon, club president Mourad Boudjellal said on Monday.

The emblematic Ireland captain and lock O’Connell, 35, has signed for 1 year with the option of another as he leaves Munster following 15 years at the Irish province.

Boudjellal said O’Connell “really wanted to finish his career the way Jonny Wilkinson did”, referring to the England great’s Toulon swansong that ended with a French and European double 12 months ago.

O’Connell, who has 101 Ireland caps, will join following the World Cup in September and October.

Despite worries about a troublesome shoulder, he passed a medical.

South Africa-born Stevens, 32, joins from the Cell C Sharks on a 2-year deal after an international career for England that saw him win 46 caps, while he was part of the British and Irish Lions tours in 2005 and 2013, although without playing any test matches.

Stevens was banned for 2 years in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine while playing for Bath.

No 8 Duane Vermeulen, 28, has played 29 times for the Springboks and joins from the DHL Stormers on a 3-year deal, the Var-Matin Newspaper states.

He was 1 of the players nominated for the World Player of the Year award in 2014.

The trio join an impressive recruitment that has already seen the likes of All Black great Ma’a Nonu, Australian internationals Quade Cooper and James O’Connor, and American wrecking ball Samu Manoa agree to move to the reigning triple European champions.

(Sport24)