De Jongh ruled out
20 Feb 2012
Stormers centre Juan de Jongh has not recovered sufficiently from a jaw injury and will miss Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes.
De Jongh took a knock to the jaw in the Stormers’ second pre-season game and hasn’t featured for the Cape franchise since. The coaching staff has confirmed that the Bok centre has yet to take contact, and so won’t be risked in the first Super Rugby game of the season.
While De Jongh will definitely sit out the coming fixture, he will be reassessed on Monday to determine his availability for the next match against the Sharks. Bryan Habana, who started at No 13 against the Kings last week, is now the favourite to join Jean de Villiers in the midfield for the clash against the Hurricanes.
Meanwhile, lock Rynhardt Elstadt has made good progress in his recovery from an ankle injury and could be ready for the match. A final call on his availability will be made on Wednesday, and the Stormers coaches are optimistic that the enforcer will pass the fitness test.
The good news for the Stormers is that first-choice scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage and loose forward Nick Koster are injury-free and will feature in a starting capacity this weekend.
By Jon Cardinelli
23 Comments
20 Feb 2012, 16:01 pm
Stormers still to take this one.
20 Feb 2012, 16:04 pm
stormers backline gets even more pap on attack!
20 Feb 2012, 16:20 pm
great news! not the same player since W Olivier killed him! twice!
20 Feb 2012, 16:22 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-2: I would say too much until we see your Sharkies backline ! he he !
20 Feb 2012, 16:23 pm
wouldnt
20 Feb 2012, 16:24 pm
Yes, rest him for the more important matches to come AC.
As for the Varkies, they aren’t allowed to talk while they keep Bosman on their payroll.
20 Feb 2012, 16:27 pm
And Joubert.
20 Feb 2012, 16:31 pm
LOL I thought that whole moving Habana to centre was some kind of PR exercise, not to be taken seriously. Now I read that he is favourite to replace de Jongh.
20 Feb 2012, 16:36 pm
Stew… Where do you get Transie to be a Shark??
20 Feb 2012, 17:00 pm
look, they should manage against the hurricanes at least… (i think).
so thats the thinking here, dont know if it’ll work though.
20 Feb 2012, 17:02 pm
Jeez, the first game of Super 14 haven’t even started yet and the guys are already dropping like flies. How many front line players won’t feature in the opening week.
Beast, Deysel, Alberts, De Jongh, Potgieter etc.
These guys should have a fragile sticker sowed onto their shirts. Can’t believe they are moving Habana to 13, the Hurricanes are going to have a field day in his channel. The probably wish now that they held on to Sadie.
20 Feb 2012, 17:18 pm
@kingcorn(kingcorn)-11: Bulls – Wynand Olivier, Dewald Potgieter
Cheetahs – Juan Smith, Coenie Oosthuizen
Sharks – Beast Mtawarira, Julian Redelinghuys, Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel
Waratahs – Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell, Dan Vickerman, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes
Crusaders – Dan Carter, Richie McCaw
Reds – Quade Cooper
Lions – Bandiso Maku, Waylon Murray, Ross Cronje
Highlanders – Shaun Treeby, Kendrick Lynn, Kade Poki, Siale Piutau, Jarrad Hoeata, Josh Bekhuis
Stormers – Deon Fourie, Rynhardt Elstadt.
Hurricanes – Reggie Goodes
20 Feb 2012, 18:39 pm
9 Duvenage
10 Van Aswegen
11 Aplon
12 Jean DeV
13 Habana ! ! !
14 Van Der Heever
15 Joe Pietersen
Doesn’t look all that bad…
20 Feb 2012, 18:47 pm
Is Jacobs still available?
20 Feb 2012, 19:35 pm
@Caper(Caper)-13:
Does this mean that upon De Jongh’s return, the Stormers back 3 will look something like;
11. Habana
14. vd Heever
15. Aplon
Has potential and pace to burn.
20 Feb 2012, 19:48 pm
@Caper(Caper)-13: Not bad. Problem is what happens if they pick up a couple of injuries?
20 Feb 2012, 20:40 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-15: It will most probably be:
11. Habana
14. Aplon
15. Joe
20 Feb 2012, 20:55 pm
@garth(garth)-17:
Has merit.
I guess personal preference would want me seeing Aplon being the full-time Stormers/ Boks 15.
He has an adequate left boot, sound defence and IMO is SA’s most ellusive broken field runner.
20 Feb 2012, 21:05 pm
I was one that called for Habana to go to second center at least a year ago or maybe earlier than that. Now that both JP and Habana are looking to become more integral in the back line dynamic from outside center and not wing I reckon we could see a whole new dimension to both Sharks and Stormers back line games.
Stormers got plenty oomph from Pietersen, Vd Heever, Aplon out wide and then Habana, JdV combining in midfield, with Van Aswegen and Duvenhage / Shroeder setting the direct back line momentum, the real fear is Burger and some his forward cohorts gonna step in the way time and again and spoil the party like they been doing the past 2 – 3 years already..
20 Feb 2012, 21:22 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-19: you know schalla is the pre-eminent first five-eighth
21 Feb 2012, 00:36 am
dejong is pish.
the shimmy step thing only works for a season
….and then when you can’t pass?!?!?!?
only rated in WP.
slightly more kak than jean devilliers…who admittedly can pass sometimes but just prefers not to.
21 Feb 2012, 01:04 am
I note the derogatory comments about the Stormers centers usually come from bloggers whose teams haven’t had decent centers in living memory.
Bulls may have good centers in the future with Venter and Sadie showing great potential. Totsiens Crash Test Dummy Olivier
The Sharks – well the dark age set to comtiue.
21 Feb 2012, 01:19 am
And how about these cyber tough guys telling us how fragile these players are? Players who spend most of the year playing a hard contact sport against other top level athletes. Judging from the time a lot of these experts spend at the keyboard I can only imagine their own physical condition to close to that of the Pilsbury Doughboy. But continue to deride these guys fellows, if it makes you feel good about yourselves.
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