Etzebeth still in doubt
30 Jun 2012
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is unlikely to be risked in the Stormers’ next clash with the Cheetahs due to an ankle injury.
Etzebeth missed the match against the Lions and could be forced to sit out of the subsequent game against the Cheetahs. Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said Etzebeth was ‘touch-and-go’ and a decision on the second-rower’s availability will be made next week.
Meanwhile, wing Danie Poolman injured his hamstring in the match against the Lions and will be sidelined for at least 10 days. However, this injury is unlikely to impact on selection for the next game, as Bryan Habana and Joe Pietersen, who both missed the most recent game due to flu, will be back next week.
Utility forward Rynhardt Elstadt will return from suspension while prop Steven Kitshoff is another who will be back. Coetzee decided to rest Kitshoff following his involvement in the Baby Boks’ successful Junior World Championship campaign.
The other bit of good news for the Stormers is that Andries Bekker came through the match against the Lions with no complaints. This game marked Bekker’s return to action following a five-week layoff with a back injury.
13 Comments
30 Jun 2012, 21:14 pm
Good news on Bekker!Give Eben another break AC.No need to rush him back.
30 Jun 2012, 21:18 pm
Start with Quinn Roux not Steenkamp if Eben is out.
1 Jul 2012, 00:02 am
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-1: No need to worry, pilgrem. Player management is one of Allister’s strengths.
1 Jul 2012, 06:04 am
Players manage themselves through injuries.
1 Jul 2012, 07:05 am
Stormer player,who cares,he is over rated
1 Jul 2012, 08:08 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-5: What’s the view like from under the bridge this morning?
1 Jul 2012, 08:48 am
I hope they start roux ahead of steenkamp. Elkstad back would be a great welcome. Stormers missed the mongrel of elkstad,kitchkoff and etzebeth
1 Jul 2012, 09:30 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-7: I agree with Roux. Steenkamp is no 4 lock – Roux much better option. I can’t see that Etzebeth will be ready next week. He was wearing a moon boot at yesterday’s game. I don’t know if anybody has commented about that on the site. He was also using crutches. He didn’t look uncomfortable but “to go from a moonboot to rugby boots” within one week doesn’t look likely.
Bekker is not 100%: in the warm-up, Bekker took a ball at pace and went to ground and placed the ball to “set up the next phase”. I was watching him closely and when he got up, he was holding his back – the only contact he made was with the grass – surely that was not suppose to happen to a fit and injury free player.
1 Jul 2012, 09:38 am
Opposition supporters can call the Stormers boring or whatever they want.
One thing for sure is that the Stormers are winning games with their back-up players, which bodes well for the future…
Beat the Bulls with their second stringers and won with a severely depleted side against the Lions…
1 Jul 2012, 09:45 am
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-9: I agree – the loosies (not Siya – great as always) struggled. I am not a big fan of Sinclair but he made a good impact IMO when he got onto the park. Saturday Jebb, Kolisi and Elstadt will start again. Pietersen and Habana should both be available as well as Kitshoff. We missed Kitshoff quite a bit – Carstens struggled, putting it mildly. Fourie is awesome in the loose but come scrum time Liebenberg is much better. Brok’s nose couldn’t stop bleeding – I watched him amongst the reserves and he wanted to go back on the park but the 2 “tampons” in the nose couldn’t do the trick. It will be a much better team come Saturday.
1 Jul 2012, 10:37 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-10:
Yes they did but things have to get better on the injury front. We are winning games we would have previously lost and that is a good sign…
1 Jul 2012, 11:40 am
@Gumboots, teams are now beating us only because they were better on the day, not because we gave them the match! Suddenly an injury in the forwards is not so critical (some guys are vital, of course) as we have more than enough in the reserves.
What does the Coach do, now: bring the heavy artillery back on once they’ve recovered and risk disrupting the rhythm or keep the current team at it, though inexperience at such a stage does count? Interesting times. The decision could break our Super Rugby duck or keep the misery going.
1 Jul 2012, 14:23 pm
Kolisi looked good at 8…
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