More flyhalf woe for WP
26 Sep 2012
WP flyhalf Gary van Aswegen injured his ankle at Wednesday’s practice and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Van Aswegen’s short career has been plagued by leg problems, and on Wednesday he succumbed to another serious ankle injury.
‘There was a collision and Gary fell awkwardly,’ said a frustrated Allister Coetzee. ‘It’s the same injury, the same ankle, that he did in the Super Rugby competition. He will go for further scans to determine exactly how long he will be out for, but that’s his [Currie Cup] season done.’
Van Aswegen is the second WP flyhalf to go down in the space of two weeks, as Kurt Coleman (broken jaw) was recently ruled out for the remainder of the season. The Cape side is also without Burton Francis, who played during the Super Rugby competition. Francis has since moved to the SWD Eagles for the Currie Cup.
What this means for WP is that outside of first-choice pivot Demetri Catrakilis, they lack an experienced No 10 option.
‘At least we have one still standing,’ Coetzee added, only half-joking before revealing who will cover Catrakilis if the situation demands it. The WP coach said fullback Joe Pietersen or even scrumhalf Louis Schreuder could move to flyhalf if worst comes to worst.
In more bad news for the Province backline, Gio Aplon has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash against the Lions. Damian de Allende will start in Aplon’s place.
Aplon watched Wednesday’s training session from the sideline while wearing a moon boot. The Springbok utility back has sustained a grade one ankle ligament tear and could be out for as many as three weeks.
In changes to the pack, flanker Tyrone Holmes will start after serving a one-week suspension. This sees Don Armand moving from blindside flank back to lock.
Meanwhile, Nick Koster may be considered for selection from next week.
WP – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Damian de Allende, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Helmut Lehmann, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Berton Klaasen, 22 Pat Howard.
By Jon Cardinelli
41 Comments
26 Sep 2012, 13:43 pm
I hope Coetzee has already agreed terms with Elton for next year. Ese the Stormers will struugle without quality 10′s.
26 Sep 2012, 13:47 pm
We have to cut Gary loose. Very sad, but he is injury prone beyond any belief.
26 Sep 2012, 14:06 pm
He does seem rather brittle for a youngster. I agree, we desperately need Elton… Most rumours have him coming to WP or the Sharks… Hopefully Coetzee and Co. are in full appreciation of the situation and dont hold back from splashing the bigbucks for a change.
26 Sep 2012, 14:10 pm
Cut your losses WP. This kid has spent more time injured than playing.
Time to look elsewhere for the future.
26 Sep 2012, 14:15 pm
Dimitri in in any case offers more than Gary – they let the wrong youngster go.
26 Sep 2012, 14:18 pm
@Mongril-5: I don’t think any other union was interested in Gary: not a bad player but seems to be more injury prone than Andre Pretorius !
Catrikilis must have had quite a huge offer to go to the Kings but I agree with you. Province should have tried to keep him unless they knew at the time that Elton was coming to Cape Town
26 Sep 2012, 14:19 pm
What about dillon leyds!!!!!!! You wp morons is frustrating the siht out of me!!!!!! That’s 1 of the reason I’m not voting for wp…. Cost it stands for
Wasting Players!!!! If any body don’t know who dillon leyds is go search him on youtube youl be amazed
26 Sep 2012, 14:22 pm
@xtremebull-7: What about him ? He played fullback for WP under 21 on Saturday
26 Sep 2012, 14:24 pm
@xtremebull-7: Thank you for that. I did not know WP was running for election. Yet I am sure they will forever regret that you are not voting for them.
26 Sep 2012, 14:24 pm
@xtremebull-7: Mate we know who he is, its not like you have some kind of private knowledge about a player who was fullback in the u20 RWC winning bok team, played in the Varsity cup for Ikeys and in the Vodacom Cup for WP… The fact is the kid is primarily a fullback now and nowhere NEAR big enough to take on the likes of JC van Rensburg, Franco vd Merwe or even Butch and Mapoe. So keep your vote, we don’t want or need it.
26 Sep 2012, 14:28 pm
@xtremebull-7: Voting where?
26 Sep 2012, 14:30 pm
Was I dreaming or was Elstadt supposed to be back?
26 Sep 2012, 14:33 pm
@stormer in a teacup-12: There was an outside chance only (unfortunately). So Koster is getting 20 or 30 minutes for UCT this weekend. I don’t know how wise it will be though to pick him for Province next week at Loftus. Elstadt yes but surely Koster needs more game time
26 Sep 2012, 14:41 pm
@CharlesM-6: Don’t joke about Pretorius. He’s playing brilliant rugby for the Leopards at the moment. Lightyears ahead of anything van Aswegen or Coleman, or even the Greek could dish up. Coetzee should have signed him for a two season swansong.
26 Sep 2012, 14:43 pm
Anyway, the Lions have their own flyhalf woes, with Jantjes doing Bok duty. Should be a pretty evenly matched affair on Saturday. Lions to take it by less than 7. Perhaps something like 28-24.
26 Sep 2012, 14:45 pm
@katman-14: I was merely mentioning the injuries !! I know he was a good flyhalf but had too many injuries over time.
I have to admit that I haven’t seen any of his rugby this season
26 Sep 2012, 14:49 pm
@CharlesM-16: I didn’t even know he was playing until I was flipping channels last weekend and saw him taking the Valke backline apart, as well as slotting kicks from all over. Looked like he was enjoying himself too.
26 Sep 2012, 14:55 pm
@katman-17: Always rated him, but unfortunately injuries kept him off the field way too often.
26 Sep 2012, 14:56 pm
So you will rather use a srumhalf as stand in flyhalf while you could make use of dillon? He started his career as a flyhalf now he gets wasted as a fullback? O ya I forget you wp fans is used to wasting or slipping or selling talent
26 Sep 2012, 14:59 pm
What has happened to Timo Swiel, he looked like a phenominal talent as well?
26 Sep 2012, 15:06 pm
@xtremebull-19: Are you his uncle because your enthusiasm for him is out of proportion as far as his performances have gone. He was only so so in the world cup and better players than him such as Serfontein, Small-Smith and Adendorf are not starting at CC level yet either. And they are all Bulls.
26 Sep 2012, 15:07 pm
@HongKongSlong-20: He is a great talent but still on the young side.
26 Sep 2012, 15:09 pm
@xtremebull-19: @HongKongSlong-20: Swiel is by far the more likely candidate to step up from u21, and no i would rather not use a scrumhalf but I would rather use Joe Pietersen or even Brache if it came to that. And what “career” did he start as a flyhalf? He played there in school but so do most talented backline players.
Don’t come on here and talk kak bulletjie rather sweat over the possibilities of a relegation playoff against the kings.
26 Sep 2012, 16:00 pm
@Tarlo-23:
Isn’t that the EP Mighty Elephants?
26 Sep 2012, 16:08 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar-24: Nah mate you’re thinking of the Border Bulldogs
26 Sep 2012, 16:28 pm
I would not hesitate ….Swiel would be my choice…..bloody good prospect.
As for Elton Jantjes…..will be great if we get the Bok no 2 choice here…..
26 Sep 2012, 16:29 pm
@Tarlo-25:
All the same then champ, our Sprinboks will be back by that time.
Think Kirchner, Steyn, Potgieter, etc..
26 Sep 2012, 17:07 pm
@stormer in a teacup-22: Johan Goosen is about 2 years older than Swiel and the CC is not the Trinations or whatever its called nowadays. I reckon that if a youngster like Etzebeth can play at that age then surely so can Swiel ?
Re Gary Van Aswagen , to be honest I never understood the fuss about him , reckoned the Greek was better from day 1 and agree with whoever said WP let the wrong one go.
Wp seems to have a knack of throwing away quality flyhalves (Pollard , Dup Plesis , Catrikillis etc etc) and thats only this year lol.
26 Sep 2012, 17:12 pm
@stormer in a teacup-21: The point is that he (Dillon Leyds) is at WP and not the other Unions and at WP there is a problem with Flyhalves being injured at the moment and he (Dillon Leyds) has played there before.
As much as I rate the Greek I reckon it would not be a bad option to test your depth , what if next year we in the same position and there is no-one available ? Are we going to cry bad luck again and try and bring in someone from Canada or Argentina ?
I agree Dillon Leyds should be seen as an option. As for size , It looks as if Leyds is bigger than Gary Van As
26 Sep 2012, 17:14 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar-27: Only boks by name not by Talent. Now I am gonna run and hide lol
26 Sep 2012, 17:17 pm
AAAAAHHHHHGGGGGG. I just want Gary to play fpr once, this kid is ALWAYS injured. Such a good player but never plays more then 3 games in a row.
Dillon Leyds was a good 10 at school but not sure if he can make the step up, real pitty bout Gary.
Tim Swiel was still at school last year, I rate him but I’m not sure if he’s quite ready to win us a big game in a Currie cup. I rem Mallet tried converting Joe P into a Flyhalf, even learnt from Andrew Merthans.
Anyone know if Elton is coming to WP??
We not gonna win sh#t without a flyhalf, Peter hasnt rested in abt 3 years and I dont think he’s the man for tghe job anymore.
Its gonna be a mission looking after that Lions scrum, they big and powerful and have dominated every pack theyve played against.
26 Sep 2012, 17:19 pm
Maybe we should give him a go there(Dillon) c wat he can do.
26 Sep 2012, 17:19 pm
@sparticus-28: Not everyone develops at the same rate.
26 Sep 2012, 17:42 pm
@sparticus-30:
Hahaha, the irony buddy.
But ja, the Bulls will back
26 Sep 2012, 17:43 pm
@mikeybrass-33: True but we never going to know until we give the guy a shot and at the moment the CC is there to build for the Super Rugby comp. Not many will like that but its the reality of the situation.
@ Fleckie , some perspective , Etzebeth was still at School last year
26 Sep 2012, 17:44 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar-34: I am sure they will. No disrespect to the other fans but SA rugby has always been at its best when we have a strong WP and Bulls side.
26 Sep 2012, 18:23 pm
WP suck end of story
..although I feel for Aplon..would be gret impact off the Bok bench
26 Sep 2012, 20:01 pm
@greatest13gerber-37:
Last time i checked WP have smashed the bulls and are currently way ahead of them on the log so if any team sucks it is your team.
26 Sep 2012, 20:08 pm
Dillon is useless- he weighs about 70kg’s and punches way below it. His tackling is non existant – not even good enough for under 16 rugby.
Only options at flyhalf are:
1. The Greek
2. Swiel
3. Joe Pietersen.
Mind you, Earl Rose is still lurking around somewhere in the Strand area …….
26 Sep 2012, 20:35 pm
@Robzim-39: and duvenhage, when he is fit,.
26 Sep 2012, 21:16 pm
@Robzim-39:
Who knows. Earle Rose might just crash the Province practice.
That guy just doesn’t know where his next pay cheque is coming from. Well, not to sustain his lifestyle.
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