Etzebeth boost for Stormers
16 Jul 2012
Lock Eben Etzebeth has fully recovered from a foot injury and will be available for the Stormers’ semi-final next Saturday.
Etzebeth has been sidelined since returning from Springbok duty, missing three Super Rugby matches. According to coach Allister Coetzee, he took part in training last Friday and has been declared fit for the knockout phase of the competition. Etzebeth will resume his partnership with Andries Bekker in the second row, an inclusion that will strengthen the Stormers’ pack.
Meanwhile, the Stormers are still waiting on Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger. It’s unlikely that either will be fit for the semi-final, although Coetzee hasn’t abandoned all hope just yet.
‘Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger are both also progressing really well, but both still remain doubtful starters for the semi,’ Coetzee said on the Stormers website. ‘Both will undergo final assessments on Thursday as to their availability to participate in team training next week and as to their potential availability for the play-off.
‘We are in pretty good shape, injury wise, for this stage of the competition. It has been a gruelling couple of months. The players have the luxury of three days downtime before regrouping on Thursday for training and preparation.’
Coetzee said on Saturday that the injuries sustained in the game against the Rebels were not serious. Siya Kolisi and Gio Aplon endured heavy hits, but Coetzee is adamant that these men are in no danger of missing the semi-final.
20 Comments
16 Jul 2012, 10:04 am
Stormers Conference dragons!!
16 Jul 2012, 10:04 am
Thats good news for a change, the Crusader will be very hard to beat and we need all the forward fire power we can get.
16 Jul 2012, 10:10 am
Great news!
16 Jul 2012, 10:16 am
good to have eben back…
unfortunately think we can count duane out… if he doesn’t know himself that his knee is better then it’s not better…
16 Jul 2012, 10:16 am
Etzebeth will be fresh and ready for action, thought he was a bit pap through out the English series.
If he can show the form he had for the 1st few games of this season we will be in for a treat.
16 Jul 2012, 10:27 am
Hope he really is fit… he doesn’t deserve to be rushed back like Lambie was. It doesn’t do the team or player any good.
16 Jul 2012, 10:33 am
Good news. The most important sidelined player.
16 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
Yeah leka Tiere go Eben!
@NicG(NicG)-6: He is. He could of played against the Rebels. He was something like 95% fit.
Great to have him back though.
16 Jul 2012, 10:39 am
Great news, he would have had a nice break as well by then.
16 Jul 2012, 10:48 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-8: The guy knows how to play hard direct rugby and arrived at just the right time with Bakkies and Danie departing. I just want them to make sure he is around for the long term for the sake of Bok rugby.
16 Jul 2012, 11:31 am
How stupid was Elstadt with Aplon’s injury!! Aplon and another player (I think it was Grant) have already tackled the Rebels’ player when Elstadt came storming in from the back – I was very worried when Gio went down the way he did – he must have been “lights out” for a while. I could not believe that he carried on playing.
As for Eben: I am so glad that he is back ! The scrum of the Stormers will be better with him behind Kitshoff as well. His aggressive ball carrying and tackling will also be a big bonus. Steenkamp is simply not in his class
16 Jul 2012, 11:45 am
Eben back and Bekker hitting form just at the right time can only be good for the Stormers.
16 Jul 2012, 11:58 am
That impact on Gio made me shudder. He is one tough little unit. When the Bok team is mentioned some bloggers say he is too small to stand up to the bigger teams, but he is as hard as they come.
16 Jul 2012, 12:57 pm
Elstadt, while a good player, is such a loose cannon. That hit on Aplon was horrible. You could see he was feeling rather guilty about it afterwards but how is that he is always the one that manages to do something wonky?
16 Jul 2012, 13:08 pm
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-13:
@STBUR(STBUR)-14:
yeah… pound for pound gio has to be one of the toughest guys in south african rugby…
his lights went out like a candle in a coal mine from the rush of air just prior to the big bang…
16 Jul 2012, 13:47 pm
I’ve been really impressed with Deon Fourie’s play these last couple of weeks at 8th man/flank. He actually looks better in the loose trio than at hooker, where his line-out throwing and scrumming remains average at best.
16 Jul 2012, 16:36 pm
I thought Steenkamp did quite well, let’s just hope Etzebeth get back his early season form.
Deon Fourie played very good the last 2 weeks. Also thought that Elstadt is getting better and also Bekker is getting back to his best.
Tiaan Liebenberg have to improve. He and the 2 front-rows were lately not so hot!
16 Jul 2012, 18:01 pm
Bekker was impressive on the weekend.!! He has that fire back in his eyes was very scary really!! Lol Edsbeth back will be a bonus.. Needs to pick up the pace though
16 Jul 2012, 21:30 pm
@pakslae(pakslae)-16: I told people here before Fourie’s stint at No.8 that he is a better loose forward than he is a hooker – I feel vindicated. Skoppie insists he is the second-best hooker in SA
17 Jul 2012, 09:39 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-19: Fourie was a revelation this weekend!
If we can win the the semi and we can have Schalk and Vermeulen on the bench for the final…..man I am excited…STORMERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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