Stormers call on Canadian loosie
9 May 2012
Canadian Test loose forward Jebb Sinclair has been drafted into the Stormers squad and will play off the bench against the Cheetahs this Saturday.
Coach Allister Coetzee said on Monday that plans to bring Francois Louw to Cape Town had failed, but promised that the search for another experienced loose forward would continue.
The Stormers have struggled with injuries in the loose forward department, and desperately needed somebody to offset the losses of Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster.
Coetzee revealed that it was initially hoped that both Sinclair and Louw would join the Stormers, but he is nevertheless happy to have secured Sinclair’s services for the remainder of the Super Rugby league stage.
Sinclair won’t be available for the play-offs, as the tournament rules stipulate that players need to have registered with a team before 1 April in order to be eligible for knockout games.
The 1.93m, 111kg forward will travel back to Canada to play for the Canucks during the June Test window, and then link up with the Stormers again for their three remaining league matches. By this time, players like Koster and Burger should also be back from injury.
‘We’ve lost two No 8 options, and I wanted to find an experienced replacement,’ said Coetzee when asked why he didn’t promote one of the Vodacom Cup players. ‘I had to look around and I’m happy that Jebb is the kind of guy that will do a good job.
‘That has always been the issue, we were always looking for an experienced No 8 once we knew Duane and Nick would be unavailable. Nizaam Carr has done a good job but he is still inexperienced, and there is a tough set of matches coming up, we want to be well covered.
‘A guy like Nick Fenton-Wells has played No 8 in the Vodacom Cup, but at Super Rugby level you need more of a specialist, and Jebb has also played rugby at the highest level.’
Apart from playing 25 Tests for Canada, the 25-year-old loose forward has enjoyed a stint at English club London Irish.
Sinclair arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday morning, and will wear the No 19 jersey in Saturday’s match against the Cheetahs. Coetzee doesn’t believe Sinclair will struggle to adapt to the Stormers’ structures in such a short time.
‘It’s been done before. We did it a couple of seasons ago when Matt Toomua joined us a couple of days before a Currie Cup game. Tamati Ellison also did it earlier in the season when he played for the Highlanders a couple of days after returning from Japan.’
Meanwhile, Eben Etzebeth’s return could be the most timely ahead of physical clash against the Cheetahs.
Etzebeth missed the Stormers’ last tour fixture against the Force with a shoulder injury, but has recovered sufficiently to take his place in the second row for this weekend’s encounter. His return is certain to provide the Stormers pack with more clout, and that lock combination does look more balanced with Etzebeth partnering a specialist No 5 like Andries Bekker.
Other changes to the forwards see Deon Fourie coming in for Tiaan Liebenberg at hooker as Coetzee looks to rotate some players. Brok Harris replaces tighthead Frans Malherbe, who started against the Force two weeks ago.
In the backs, Jean de Villiers has overcome a wrist injury to take his place at No 12 and lead the side. His return sees Juan de Jongh shifting one position out to No 13 and Bryan Habana moving back to the wing. Gio Aplon is also back from injury and will replace Gerhard van den Heever.
Stormers – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.
By Jon Cardinelli
189 Comments
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9 May 2012, 12:17 pm
so JC.. now we have 2 etzebeth threads…
how sensible is that…?
can’t you guys coordinate them…? have the video and your piece on the same thread…
anyway…
9 May 2012, 12:17 pm
Future Springbok legend Dragons!
9 May 2012, 12:18 pm
9 May 2012, 12:18 pm
saw this piece on news24…
quite unbelievable that an amateur can play at this level these days…
quite astounding that wp did not sign him…
Cape Town – Western Province flank Rohan Kitshoff is set to leave the union to play for French Top-14 club Bordeaux Bègles.
According to Die Burger, Kitshoff played as an amateur the past few years as he never had a contract with Western Province.
However, WP coach John Dobson says Kitshoff is far from amateur.
“We are losing an unbelievable person, a hardened and brilliant professional sportsman,” said Dobson.
Kitshoff, 26, excelled as a ball-poacher for WP in last year’s Currie Cup before he represented Namibia in the World Cup in New Zealand.
His absence cost WP dearly, as they lost possession on the ground 100 times over a four game period.
He’s also had a big influence on WP making the semi-finals of this year’s Vodacom Cup, but has largely been overlooked by the Stormers coaches.
“He has thus far scored the second most tries (6) in the Vodacom Cup and was our Player of the Match a couple of times.
“But he’s getting married soon and one can’t pay the bills and plan a future if you have to play as an amateur,” said Dobson.
WP take on the Pumas in the Vodacom Cup semi-finals at Newlands on Saturday.
9 May 2012, 12:19 pm
@Uncle Oswald(uncle oswald)-3:
sheesh sorry man…
just pretend mine wasn’t there…
9 May 2012, 12:22 pm
Very happy to see Etzebeth back for the Cheetahs game,not so sure about starting Deon Fourie ahead of teabag against a formidable Cheetahs front row tho’.
9 May 2012, 12:27 pm
I believe that Jean is the captain and not Bekker.
Who is Jebb Sinclair(19)?
9 May 2012, 12:31 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-7:
Jebb is a canadian who plays for london irish,bought in to cover at loosie for the next few games,not elegible to play for stormers if they make the play offs.
9 May 2012, 12:37 pm
@Superbru(Superbru)-8:
Thanks, they certainly moved quickly to get a cover after the Louw negotiations failed.
9 May 2012, 12:38 pm
They should have got the other bearded Canuck – Adam Kleeberger.
9 May 2012, 12:44 pm
Jebb wie…?
9 May 2012, 12:47 pm
of all the loose forwards in the world… how the heck do we get jebb sinclair…? how good, bad or indifferent is he…? what is his claim to fame..? why him as opposed to a hundred others we’ve at least heard of before…???
9 May 2012, 12:48 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-10:
for sure…
9 May 2012, 12:51 pm
hehehe…
katman… wiki has a pic of jebb… he looks like kleeburgers big bro…
Jebb Sinclair (born 4 August 1986) is a Canadian rugby union player. Sinclair plays as a flanker but can also provide cover in the second row. Jebb made his debut for the Canadian national rugby team against Portugal while on Canada’s 2008 tour of Europe.
9 May 2012, 12:52 pm
Maybe the pay strike thing is a bit more serious than it has been admitted to.
Why has so much talent left the Western Cape,now they are bringing in loosies from Canada for fuchsakes,
Think of guys they lost like Diak, Melk,Louw and Louw
**** man when you can’t make a deal to bring Flo Louw with his Western Province family connections,back something is rotten in that camp.
And Coetzee really knows how to inspire his troops re that quote above on Carr,he really must feel good knowing the coach has full faith in him.
I sense the wheels coming off here,smells like it did when Schalk Brits was rushed back to make his disasterous appearance in the ill fated semi last year.
9 May 2012, 12:54 pm
check out jebb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siNOW8OXDms
9 May 2012, 12:55 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-9:
Yep,Carr has done well at 8,don’t think the coach has enough trust in Nick F Wells at loosie.Jebb is a hard man,and brings something different,international experience too.
9 May 2012, 12:56 pm
I can’t see why Kitshoff could not provide adequate cover.
There is no loosie crisis in WP / Stormers.
9 May 2012, 12:57 pm
@ufo(ufo)-14: Looks a bit Armish…hope that’s not an indication of his aggression at the breakdown
9 May 2012, 12:57 pm
Why isnt JDV captain? Tiaan on the bench….probably wants to be on the field when his brother is on the field so that he can give a snotklap!
Why isnt JDV playing 13?
9 May 2012, 12:59 pm
AC was looking for a big tall 8th man to cover.
If Nizaam is as good as everyone says he is (and I have no reason to doubt that) then he’ll just be injury cover until Schalk and Koster are back.
Looking at the team the only thing that is stopping this from being a pretty much full strength team is Carr 9as good as they say he is he’s no Duanne-yet) and Fourie in for tiaan, which is actually quite a problem at the set pieces.
Having said that if he can’t find Bekker he doesn’t deserve to even be playing rugby,
9 May 2012, 13:01 pm
@willievz(willievz)-18: Kitshoff is off to France to pay for his wedding.
9 May 2012, 13:01 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-19:
check the youtube bud…
plenty of aggression there…
9 May 2012, 13:02 pm
@willievz(willievz)-18:
agree with you…
only thing i can think of is that wp are playing the VC semi on saturday and they don’t want to give away any chances of losing now…
9 May 2012, 13:03 pm
how did the schalk britz @ flank experiment work last year AC?
9 May 2012, 13:03 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-20: JdV is captain?
9 May 2012, 13:04 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-19: Armish as in Amish or Armish as in Army-ish?
@willievz(willievz)-18: Agreed. The whole thing makes WP look amateurish. Kitshoff is also an International.
In the backs, Jean de Villiers has overcome a wrist injury to take his place at No 12 and lead the side (sic) Its not nice to lie JC.
9 May 2012, 13:04 pm
Jean is Captain, it is only here that they decided he is not captain. Bekker is VC
9 May 2012, 13:06 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-26: @Obronie(Obronie)-28: Thanks guys
You are an idiot JC.
9 May 2012, 13:06 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-21:
nizaam is good but has only started one super rugby match… and it only get’s tougher and tighter from here on out… so i have no prob with AC being cautious with him…
just surprised by who they got in…
@Superbru(Superbru)-8:
why would he not be okayed for the play-offs…? (if we make them) wasn’t the qualification four matches prior to play-offs…?
9 May 2012, 13:07 pm
@ufo(ufo)-23: Dan is ek baie bly, we need him to have mongrell – he is a big dude. Let’s hope for the best
9 May 2012, 13:08 pm
@ufo(ufo)-24:
Good point,why unsettle a very settled team?
9 May 2012, 13:09 pm
@ufo(ufo)-30: AC is wise in this, but it is a surprise. Great oppertunity for Jebb also. Sure he would love to be invited back. If he’s anything like the ’95 Canada clan, he will be a monster
9 May 2012, 13:11 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-31:
hehehe
here’s hoping…
@Superbru(Superbru)-32:
yeah… imagine if they got knocked out now…? then that whole province chocker thing begins with them too…
rather win the VC and then these young players will be recognized by their opponents as as winners as they progress through their careers…
9 May 2012, 13:11 pm
@ufo(ufo)-30:
Had to be registered to play super rugby before 1 april in order to be legible for playoffs.
9 May 2012, 13:13 pm
@ufo(ufo)-30: I am too. In the article it suggests that theu wanted both him and FLo. So he may have been coming regardless.
Who knows, lets have a look on the weekend
I see Elgar Watts has been called up to the Cheetahs squad as cover.
9 May 2012, 13:14 pm
@Bismarck Burger(Bismarck Burger)-33:
absolutely… may not always agree with his choices… but i’m a big AC fan… and he certainly knows more from the inside than what we see from the outside…
covering at lock too he is indeed a big unit… and those short clips show him running and handling quite well…
another thing to look forward to on saturday…!
9 May 2012, 13:16 pm
Jebb is a bus, but they backed younsgters like Siya and Nizaam, why not back Kitshoff or Fenton Wells to?
Interesting…
Couldnt they get someone like Pieter Louw, Ernst Joubert or Robbie Diack?
9 May 2012, 13:16 pm
@Superbru(Superbru)-35:
oh okay… cool…
thanks
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-36:
for sure… gonna be interesting…
good for elgar… hope he gets onto the park at some stage…
9 May 2012, 13:20 pm
@WP_(WP_)-38:
the VC team hasn’t lost a game all season… rohan has been a star according to dobbo… playing semi’s on saturday… i can see why he’d rather hang onto kitshoff…
ditto fenton-wells… the captain…
9 May 2012, 13:20 pm
must get to newlands early and watch the vc game too…
9 May 2012, 13:21 pm
Anyone with a beard like that and a name like Jebb is OK with me.
i wonder if he wears high heels,
Suspendies, and a bra.
and wishes he’d been a girlie,
Just like his dear Papa……….
9 May 2012, 13:23 pm
@ufo(ufo)-40: Yeah it i suppose it makes sense for Dobbo tohang onto them in the quest for a trophy…
It’s not like we’ve had a bucketful of those recently…
9 May 2012, 13:26 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-42: Jebb v Josh Strauss would be an interesting one
9 May 2012, 13:27 pm
@WP_(WP_)-43:
exactly… take them wherever we can get them… (if we get them)
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-42:
check out the canadian beardos…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-r2sCU71p8&feature=related
9 May 2012, 13:27 pm
@ufo(ufo)-24: @Sasuke(Sasuke)-27:
It’s also my understanding that Kitshoff was never contracted, or alternatively put, played as an amateur?
That leaves much to be desired.
Anyways, I think you might have a point with the VC team. And boy, does WP need a trophy
Seen from an economic perspective, a Canadian international’s labour won’t be expensive in a Super 15 labour market. And union / franchise such as WP / Stormers that struggles financially needs to manage its funds carefully.
However, it would still have been cheaper to employ either Kitshoff or Fenton-Wells.
9 May 2012, 13:28 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-22:
So I heard.
Good move on his side, giving an up yours to an employer who makes use of cheap labour.
9 May 2012, 13:29 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-42:
liked the monty python too…
9 May 2012, 13:32 pm
I read that Kitshoff article in Die Burger this morning and have noticed that Dobson can’t give enough praise to Kitshoff – he was a few times man of the match. My question now is, if Dobson thinks he is that good why was Stormers (WP Rugby) never interested in him? He was part of the 40 or 100 man Stormer group in December.
If they need a big nr7, what about Lobberts. UFO I think you have a point, WP is very serious this year about winning something and they do not want to use of the “B” team star players in Vodacom Cup.
I saw Pieter Louw jogging on Monday night – he looks now bigger than before. I unfortunately do not know if he still plays rugby.
9 May 2012, 13:34 pm
@willievz(willievz)-46:
yeah commented on that at top of thread…
hehehe
and don’t we just…!!
i’d just like to know the six degrees of kevin bacon that connected AC to Jebb… seems a strange choice… but will give AC the benefit here…
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