Elstadt doubtful for opener
15 Feb 2012
Stormers enforcer Rynhardt Elstadt has sustained a serious ankle injury and is likely to miss the opening Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes.
The Stormers have already lost hooker Deon Fourie for six weeks to a broken hand, an injury that was incurred in last Saturday’s warm-up match against the Kings. On Tuesday, coach Allister Coetzee said the fixture had claimed another casualty in the form of Elstadt. The No 4 lock suffered a grade one ankle ligament tear and could be out for as many as three weeks.
Although Coetzee couldn’t say for certain how long Elstadt would be sidelined, he did admit that the injury was a major concern just nine days out from the opening game against the Hurricanes. If Elstadt doesn’t recover in time, De Kock Steenkamp will partner Andries Bekker in the Stormers’ second row.
Several other players are recovering from niggles, but Coetzee hopes to have everybody bar Fourie available for this clash. Joe Pietersen has a slight hamstring strain while Juan de Jongh is still recovering from a jaw injury. Nick Koster missed Tuesday’s training session as he was having fluid drained from his knee.
The good news for the Stormers is that first-choice scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage is on the mend and may start against the Hurricanes. Duvenage hasn’t featured in any of the pre-season matches, but Coetzee may play him in the first half of next week’s match.
By Jon Cardinelli
48 Comments
14 Feb 2012, 17:03 pm
Stormers need this dragon. Already running short on grunt at the front…
14 Feb 2012, 17:41 pm
This guy will be the number 7 of the the bokke in the 2015 WC.
14 Feb 2012, 17:49 pm
Hmmm maybe Etsebeth will get some game time?
14 Feb 2012, 18:53 pm
Why on earth would Coetzee play the ordinary de Kock Steenkamp ahead of Etzebeth………Coetzee keeps making calls that leads me to believe he is an average coach – much like the decision to play Habana at 13, when he has the likes of JP du Plessis and Pat Howard on board
14 Feb 2012, 19:25 pm
@Saffex-4:
Yip, Steenkamp is a journeyman, but perhaps it is better to “phase’ Etsebeth in at this level- He is after all only 20 years old and might be better to play him off the bench for the first few matches- it is also possible that Coetzee sees him more as a no 5 lock (as backup to Bekker) than a number 4 at this stage of his career.
14 Feb 2012, 20:45 pm
ETzebeth would most likely not want to specialize as a 5 as this means he’d be competing with Bekker for this spot at provincial and national levels.
14 Feb 2012, 21:23 pm
Coetzee has never shown any faith in youngsters… see what happened to the likes of Sadie and Engelbrecht.
Alister Coetzee IS an average coach… a really average one.
14 Feb 2012, 22:18 pm
@lepel-7: Yes, giving Sadie a starting spot and countless games before he left for the money the Bulkls offered is really down to a lack of faith.
I seem to remember him giving countless youngsters chances last year, are you reallyu so doff that you fail to remember them?
15 Feb 2012, 04:27 am
Yip. Sadie, engelbrecht, Cronje, whitehead, van Aswegan, Bosch, kitshoff all given a run.
15 Feb 2012, 08:19 am
Big loss, not because he is irreplaceable, but because he was underdone in the warm ups, He needs game time, so even when he gets over his injury he will need time to get back to his best again.
I think Eben will be on the bench and will certainly get game time.
15 Feb 2012, 08:28 am
from news24
Cape Town – Schalk Ferreira will make his long-awaited return to the rugby field at prop for Western Province when they tackle SWD in a friendly at Outeniqua Park in George on Tuesday.
In 2009, three specialists told the 27-year-old he should never play contact sport again after undergoing a second neck operation.
But according to Die Burger newspaper he’s back onto the playing field after a prayer and a visit to another specialist.
“I was visited by a missionary friend of mine, Phillip Conradie, and asked him to pray for me. After that I started training and a specialist in Pretoria, Daan de Klerk, did tests and a scan.
“He said my neck responded well to the operation (of 2009) and that I could play prop again.”
And Ferreira has no doubt that his friend’s prayer played a role in his recovery.
“I believe it’s a miracle.”
Ferreira played the last of his 68 first class matches at hooker for Boland against Western Province on 26 September 2009. Before that, he also played 47 games for WP and 16 for the Stormers.
Ferreira was always deemed too light for a prop at 95kg, but he has since trained hard to increase his muscle mass and now weighs 115kg.
“My first goal is the Vodacom Cup competition, but Allister Coetzee (Stormers coach) said I might get another chance at Super Rugby level if I prove myself,” said Ferreira.
Teams:
SWD: TBA
Western Province: 15 William van Wyk, 14 Ghafoer Luckan, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Berton Klaasen, 11 Ederies Arendse, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Ricky Schroeder, 8 Nic Fenton-Wells (captain), 7 Reuben Johannes, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
15 Feb 2012, 08:41 am
@ufo-11: I remember when he was a springbok U21. heaps of potential and was looking promising,
Good luck.
I know the family. Great people.
15 Feb 2012, 08:47 am
@stormersboy-12:
yeah… let’s hope he get’s his career back on track… always respect people who come back from such adversity with courage and determination…
good luck to the guy!
15 Feb 2012, 09:36 am
Interested to see how this dragon performs in his second year of Super rugby.
Could be the next guy in the Bok no 4 jersey.
15 Feb 2012, 10:01 am
@ufo-13: Hey UFO. Unfortunately, judging by his performance yesterday, he has a way to go, before he see the Stormers Super Rugby squad. He struggled in the scrums, and he was anonymous in the tight loose. Having said that, the entire WP team struggled. Very disjointed performance. They drew 40 all against the SWD Vodacom cup team. The only players who stood out were Fenton-Wells, JP du Plessis, Rohan Kitshoff, and Kurt Coleman, who played off the banch. WP were awarded 2 penalty tries by Kaplan, and probably didn’t deserve the draw.
15 Feb 2012, 10:35 am
too bad for the stormers.
i do like him as a player.
he plays like a bull in a greenpoint china’s shop.
15 Feb 2012, 10:37 am
This is Eben’s chance.
Haven’t seen him play yet, but I hear he is highly rated?
15 Feb 2012, 10:48 am
@willievz-17:
true, but he’s only just 20 years old i believe. no need to rush a laaitie into such a punishing position with too much pressure on him.
of course he may take to it like water.
15 Feb 2012, 11:09 am
@willievz-17: He looked good in the openers. Still young but full of fire and physically another giant in the lineouts.
Against the Lions we stole a lot of their ball in this area.
15 Feb 2012, 11:25 am
@willievz-17:
stormersboy says he looks promising in the gymnasium.
15 Feb 2012, 11:33 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-20: Never seen him in the gym.
15 Feb 2012, 11:39 am
@stormersboy-21:
bonjour.
15 Feb 2012, 11:48 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-22: Bonjour to you too fella!
To be honest i would be keen to see him in the gym and get a feel for how strong he is.
I used to go to the SSISA when I worked in Newlands but now I’m back in the ‘burbs.
15 Feb 2012, 11:51 am
@stormersboy-21: that’s not what you said last year, sauna man
15 Feb 2012, 11:55 am
@Transformation-24:
15 Feb 2012, 11:55 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-20:
If Eben is anything like his uncles (Cliffie and Skattie (RIP) ) then he will probably think gym is for softies and posers
It is a hardcore family.
15 Feb 2012, 11:58 am
@Transformation-24:
pipe down peter.
@Robzim-26:
are they the dudes that put et in jail for poodlemongering?
15 Feb 2012, 12:08 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-27:
Lol, not jail- they were more in the business of “inflicting grievous bodily harm” upon perceived offenders.
15 Feb 2012, 12:25 pm
@ginger judge-15:
hey ginger judge… cool nic…
thanks for the info… i didn’t even know we were playing yesterday…
yeah… schalk didn’t really impress before… was hoping the extra 20 would make some difference…
did elstadt get hurt in that game…?
15 Feb 2012, 12:27 pm
@stormersboy-23:
errr… is your real first name peter by any chance…?
15 Feb 2012, 12:30 pm
@Robzim-26:
i enjoyed the way he got stuck into heinrich brussow when the cheetahs played at newlands… saw heinrich giving one of his teammates a hard time and didn’t hesitate… and wasn’t shy about letting brussow know it… but didn’t lose his cool either… good to see in a young guy…
15 Feb 2012, 12:32 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-27:
i heard they’re the reason chuck norris won’t come to cape town…
15 Feb 2012, 12:37 pm
@ufo-30:
No
First name “Mister”
Surname “Stormersboy”
Middle name “Danger”
15 Feb 2012, 12:48 pm
@stormersboy-33:
yessuh Mister Stormersboy!!
15 Feb 2012, 13:13 pm
@ufo-29: I think Elstadt was injured last weekend. The WP locks yesterday were Quinn Roux and Wilhelm van der Sluys.
Btw, say hi to Anton next time you are at the Vic.
15 Feb 2012, 13:21 pm
@ginger judge-35:
thanks…
okay will do…
do we know each other…?
15 Feb 2012, 13:31 pm
@ufo-36: He he. No idea. I left FH a coupla years ago, for the Garden Route. Vic was my haunt. I saw in previous posts that you visit there too.
15 Feb 2012, 13:34 pm
@ginger judge-37:
oh… okay…
cool…!
enjoy the garden route… spectacular place to live….!!!
15 Feb 2012, 13:55 pm
Probable Stormers starting 22- I think this is what Alister will pick if everyone is fit.
1. Kitshoff
2. Liebenberg
3. Brok
4. Elstadt
5. Bekker
6. Burger (c)
7. Vermeulen
8. Koster
9. Duvenage
10. Van Aswegen
11. Habana
12. JDV
13. JdJ
14. Aplon
15. Joe Pietersen
16. Deon Fourie
17. Deon Carstens
18. De Kock Steenkamp
19. Kolisi
20. Louis Schreuder
21. Marcel Brache
22. Van Den Heever
Vodacom Cup
1. Schalk Ferreria
2. Scara Ntubeni
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Quinn Roux
5. Etzebeth
6. Rohan Kitshoff
7. Tertius Daniller
8. Nizaam Carr
9. Groom
10. Coleman
11. Edries Arendse
12. Berton Klaasen
13. JP du Plessis
14. Poolman
15. Dillion Leyds??
16. ????
17. Tom Botha
18. ???
19. Nick Fenton Wells
20. ???
21. Catrakilis
22. Mbovane
15 Feb 2012, 14:37 pm
@Sasuke-39: I think Etzebeth will be better served getting constant gametime in a lower league than getting patches in a top competition. Time is still on his side.
15 Feb 2012, 20:57 pm
I’d prefer Etsbeth is given as much game time and time in the S15 as possible. That means that while Eldstadt is injured, he should be the first choice 4. Having Steenkamp start is pointless. He is only on the bench in case of injury. Once Eldstadt returns, I’d move Eben back to playing VC.
Schalk F believes in miracles. That must have been one hard knock.
15 Feb 2012, 21:19 pm
Etzebeth and Bekker at 2nd row is one mean machine second row.. could very well be the Bok second row not too far down the line.
Elstadt should concentrate at 7 like e revamped Juan Smith
This my Stormers pack
Vemeulen
Elstadt
Kolisi
Bekker
Etsebeth
Malherbe
Liebenberg
Kitshoff
Harris / Blaauw
Fourie
Steenkamp
Carr
Koster
Who the hell needs Burger to come stuff up the works and destabilize the balance and the momentum? Just a fat spanner in the works who isn’t needed one little bit.
15 Feb 2012, 21:25 pm
Boks possibilities
Vermeulen / Botha / Stander / Koster
Alberts / Elstadt / Coetsee
Kolisi / Minnie / Brussow
Bekker / Kruger
Etsebeth / Vd Merwe
Oosthuizen / Malherbe / JdP
Bismark / Chili / Strauss
Gerber / Beast / Oosthuizen
15 Feb 2012, 21:26 pm
No requirement for Spies, or Burger, or Kankowski
15 Feb 2012, 21:47 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-44:
We have a great choice of bench players to cover the 7,8,4 and 5 positions. With Alberts covering 7,8 and4 at a push. Elstadt 4 and 7, and Juandre 5 and 7.
15 Feb 2012, 21:49 pm
@David(David)-45:
Elstadt though, probably needs a couple of years in the S15 to prove himself.
15 Feb 2012, 22:28 pm
Yip I had great hopes for Elstadt, hope he comes through.. another case where Rassie fck’d up.. same as he did with Vermeulen and Watson and Burger, and both Flouw and Plouw, and Koster playing him at wing, pushing Elstadt too early into the enforcer 4 role where the kid’s best position would have been at 7, now he’s almost burned out before he’s started.
Rassie is not a good tactician nor a good selector or strategist.. and Stormers blow outs at the coal face of every competition in the last few years proves it.
With Etsebeth and Bekker at 4 and 5, and Elstadt at 7, with Koster, Vermeulen, Kolisi, Carr, Kitschoff filling in around the back row, Stormers got no dearth of efficient fire power through the loose and in the bust forward momentum stakes..
The entire problem is what the hell to do with Burger because sure as nuts he fcks up the entire balance and screws up all the momentum through and through, both at Stormers and in the Bok setup.
16 Feb 2012, 10:01 am
@David(David)-46: Didnt he do enough last year? He was one of the best No.4 locks in the whole Super 15. Essential to the Stormers successful pack. But I agree with you if he can produce the goods this season as well he can be consider for Bok selection this year.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.