Etzebeth is new Stormers enforcer
22 Feb 2012
Rynhardt Elstadt has failed a late fitness test and will be replaced by Eben Etzebeth for the Stormers’ first Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes.
Earlier this week, the Stormers were confident that Elstadt would recover from an ankle injury to take his place in the second row. But following further testing it’s been decided that the No 4 lock won’t be risked. He will however be ready to play against the Sharks next week.
This leaves the Stormers without an established enforcer option, and coach Allister Coetzee has decided to hand Etzebeth the responsibility in his very first Super Rugby match.
‘Eben is an out-and-out No 4 lock,’ said Coetzee when asked to explain why a more seasoned second rower like De Kock Steenkamp wasn’t preferred. ‘Yes he is a youngster and often youngsters make mistakes, but he has great potential and I have no doubt that he is ready to make the step up at Super Rugby level.’
As reported on Monday, Juan de Jongh will not feature because of a jaw injury. Bryan Habana will partner Jean de Villiers in midfield, and this move opens up a space for Gerhard van den Heever on the wing.
Gary van Aswegen will start at flyhalf in the absence of Peter Grant, who is still playing rugby in Japan, and will be joined by Dewaldt Duvenage in the halfbacks.
Nick Koster will start at No 8 despite the return of regular eighthman Duane Vermeulen. Vermeulen will play blindside flank.
Coetzee added that Deon Carstens, who was recruited from Saracens in the off-season, wasn’t considered because of a lack of game time at tighthead prop. Coetzee feels that the Stormers have the right front row balance in Steven Kitshoff, Brok Harris and reserve prop Frans Malherbe at this stage of the season.
Stormers – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Bryan Habana, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Louis Schrueder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marcel Brache.
107 Comments
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22 Feb 2012, 13:33 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-47:
i see he is forwards coach for the kings now…?
has he moved to madiba baai…?
22 Feb 2012, 13:36 pm
@ufo(ufo)-48:
For Stormersboy? What the hell is that about?
Did you film that?
22 Feb 2012, 13:38 pm
@ufo(ufo)-46: No but seriously, that is one of the weakest (if not the weakest) benches the Stormers have ever fielded.
Unestablished backline combos, young enforcer lock, unbalanced backrow…
A sneaky R50 on the Hurricanes is a good bet.
22 Feb 2012, 13:38 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-44:
I remember reading about a court case that involved Skattie.
He first knocked a local farmer out during a fight in some or other dancehall near Stellenbosch – when the farmer got to his senses a few minutes later he stumbled past Skattie who greeted him with a surprised :” O, jy is weer op?” before knocking him out again.
Hectic dances in those days, lol.
22 Feb 2012, 13:42 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-52:
yeah i did…
stormersboy first picked and mentioned eben etzebeth early last year (or couldve even been the year before…) said we should look out for him… so i did… and have watched his career progress with comments to stormersboy every so often…
stormersboy missed this game… so thought he’d enjoy seeing eben getting physical with brussow…
22 Feb 2012, 13:43 pm
@ufo(ufo)-55:
Hang on, Brussouw is like 4 feet tall, and Etsebeth a 7 footer. What’s to be impressed about?
22 Feb 2012, 13:44 pm
@willievz(willievz)-53:
yeah i know man… we’re not too flash this year…
but will get behind our team 100% and skree our lungs out anyway…
because that’s what wp supporters do…
22 Feb 2012, 13:46 pm
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA…..
22 Feb 2012, 13:46 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-47:
Pity he usually picked on blokes half his size.
I do have respect for him though- he finished the Cape Epic and although he came last he showed great guts taking into consideration that he had to “carry” about 120 kg’s
Breyten Paulse , Tiaan Strauss and Corne Krige have also done the race but for them it was relative easier – Breyten is a real athlete and Tiaan and Corne are real hardcore.
22 Feb 2012, 13:48 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-32:
Schalk senior wasn’t a wine farmer at the time. Just a brekker imported from EP. I reckon WP got tired of having him deck their guys in the lineouts and decided to rather have him with them than against.
22 Feb 2012, 13:49 pm
If they had said Elizabeth is their new half time hair stylist and make-up re-applicator, it would have made more sense.
Which one of you Stormers supporting chops wrote this article ? And have you predicted the Stormers are going to win the Super 15 yet ? And if not – why not ? Are you not feeling well ?
22 Feb 2012, 13:49 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-56:
brussow is one powerful dude… built like a rhino on roids… and with his lower centre of gravity should easily have brought etzebeth down…
just ask martin williams how he liked being tossed around like a sack of mielies…
i saw once on the net that heinrich’s dad is some nutrition scientist and has developed some super-duper supplement stuff that a lot of the boks apparently use… (legally…) and heinrich was weaned on the stuff…
22 Feb 2012, 13:53 pm
@ufo(ufo)-62: It’s just a bit difficult to take Brussouw seriously as a rugby player with that baby face of his. The guy does have power, but he’ll just never carry the stature that someone like AJ Venter or Bakkies Botha do.
22 Feb 2012, 13:53 pm
@David(David)-60:
schalk senior was not imported from ep… he was born in the southern suburbs of cape town…
went to ep for varsity because of their design school… he and one of his brothers wanted to design racing cars…
22 Feb 2012, 13:54 pm
@ufo(ufo)-55: And I certainly did (and do).
He’s the real deal is that fella.
22 Feb 2012, 13:55 pm
@David(David)-60:
He is originally from CT – went to school at Paarl and did B Com at Stellenbosch before he went to play for EP- I think that is where he learnt to become an enforcer (the Human brothers tought him) and , as you said, WP then got him back – i think Jan Pickard offered him a position in one of his companies.
22 Feb 2012, 13:55 pm
@ufo(ufo)-64: I nearly thought you were going to say he wanted to design ladies clothing. That would have made more sense for a WP boy.
22 Feb 2012, 13:55 pm
@ufo(ufo)-55: WTF!! Getting physical……. Oh I forgot we are talking the Cape’s finest here. No explanation needed.
22 Feb 2012, 13:56 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-63:
hehehe…
his looks do bely his power…
22 Feb 2012, 13:56 pm
@ufo(ufo)-69: The baby faced assassin
22 Feb 2012, 13:57 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-67: Bags packed yet and feel like braking out in ‘Leaving on a jet plain’?
22 Feb 2012, 13:57 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-71: Nearly….:-) It’s just around the corner now.
22 Feb 2012, 13:58 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-63:
Brussow is also a very good actor- ask the Samoans.
22 Feb 2012, 13:59 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-65:
me too…
don’t wanna put the mockers on him… but as wptid said earlier… barring injury of course… i believe he and bekker will be the bok locks in a year or two…
to me he is a cross between bakkies and vic… does great stuff in the line out and gets about the park and puts in the physical stuff too…
22 Feb 2012, 13:59 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE(KWAGGA ROBERTSE)-68: I hear the Stormers like to get quite physical for their weekly oil wrestling session. I wonder if Brussouw flew down to join them ? He was probably missing that kind of training session at the Cheetahs.
22 Feb 2012, 14:02 pm
@ufo(ufo)-74: Actually – all jokes aside. I also think Etzebeth is a bright prospect. When he played for the baby Bokkies, he looked very good. Him and Nizaam Carr (spelling ?)
22 Feb 2012, 14:04 pm
Haven’t seen a lot of Etsebeth, but glad we are giving the youngsters a chance.
How’s his discipline?
22 Feb 2012, 14:05 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-75: Hehehehe. Must say I am a Ratel fan. Klein kak maak die lewe moeilik vir die ander span.
Good memories of him getting McCaw to spit like a farking snake out of frustration.
22 Feb 2012, 14:06 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-75: Check yourself buddy….
Or you’ll meet me in the parking lot
22 Feb 2012, 14:07 pm
@willievz(willievz)-77: Should do alright next to Parkie Peester.
22 Feb 2012, 14:07 pm
@Dusky(Dusky)-76:
quite right on both accounts…
22 Feb 2012, 14:08 pm
@ufo(ufo)-62:
Nothing like Freestate steaks to build up the farmboy’s strenght.
And milk fresh from the cows’s teat.
22 Feb 2012, 14:10 pm
@willievz(willievz)-77:
actually very good willie…
that was more the point i was trying to make… pushed and shoved with brussow but never got angry… kept cool…
and doesn’t give away penalties either…
22 Feb 2012, 14:12 pm
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-82:
he’s not called ratel for nothing…
may mean nothing outside south africa… but we know no one’s gonna get such a nic for nothing…
22 Feb 2012, 14:13 pm
i’m talking too much…
cheers guys…
later…
22 Feb 2012, 14:14 pm
@ufo(ufo)-83: With a fair bit of backpeddaling from Ratel, no less…..
22 Feb 2012, 14:14 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-38:
tac was singing this gedig just yesterday with regard to tough blokes and their blikseming abilities
22 Feb 2012, 14:23 pm
Guys what’s the KEO Superbru pool?
22 Feb 2012, 14:28 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-87:
Tac sang the following:
Ek like ‘n man wat sy man kan staan
Ek like ‘n Bul met ‘n pienk rokkie aan
22 Feb 2012, 14:46 pm
So Hurdles replaced Habana at two Superrugby franchises now? Get the picture Bryan?
22 Feb 2012, 14:54 pm
@ufo(ufo)-48: Nice vid. Plenty of mistakes, but some good strong carries.
22 Feb 2012, 14:57 pm
Tac, you out there?
From the Stormers Facebook group:
“Did you know: Juan de Jongh and Louis Shreuder can squat 2.7 times their own body weight and Bryan Habana is the fastest Stormer over 40m, running the distance in a blistering 4.77 seconds”
Seems Habana is still faster than Shadow…
22 Feb 2012, 14:58 pm
And Bryan is still a Bok at both of them and Hekkies nie. Get the picture pumpkin?
22 Feb 2012, 15:02 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-92: Aren’t you thinking of an ant?
22 Feb 2012, 15:03 pm
I think Dusky has confused his meds with smarties to no good end.
22 Feb 2012, 15:09 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-92: he knows this already and sulked the whole day when it came out
22 Feb 2012, 15:14 pm
I don’t think its wise to take the Hurricanes lightly, even though everyone is suggesting they will struggle. This however is a very strong looking Stormers team, if Habbana can actually play centre properly it could be a great start to the season for the Stormers. Here’s hoping Brian knows how to pass!!
22 Feb 2012, 15:16 pm
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-92: His argument will be if he was still at the Bulls, this would not be the case!
22 Feb 2012, 15:40 pm
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-89:
tac wont like that
22 Feb 2012, 15:42 pm
hundreds…
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