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Both Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie attended their first Stormers training sessions yesterday, along with fellow new recruits, Lionel Cronje and Fabian Juries.
The pair of seasoned internationals will add the combined experience of 111 test caps to a Stormers back division that will have to make do without their talisman, Jean de Villiers, this year. Both Habana and Fourie will play important leadership roles as backup to skipper Schalk Burger, himself a test veteran. Coach Allister Coetzee’s big challenge will be to find a way to integrate the two match-winners into the team culture without ruffling any feathers.
The “superstar culture” has long been a divisive factor at the Stormers and the arrival of two such high-profile signings could make things a lot worse.
A number of other players are currently on the injured list, but the majority should be fit in time for the Super 14 opener in February. Willem de Waal, Adriaan Fondse, Dylan des Fountain, Conrad Jantjes, Nick Koster and Morgan Newman should all be available by the third week of the competition, at the latest.
STOOOOOOOOOORMERS!
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 1) : I think it might just be a surprisingly good year for you guys, if bloody Erasmus (x2) can just stay the hell away from the team.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : We live in hope Robbo
15-Jantjes/Pietersen
14-Koster/Juries
13-TWG13
12-De Jongh
11-Habs
10-Grant
9-Mechanic
Not too shabby!!!
@wpw (Comment 4) : Agree not too shabby at all. Now all you need is someone to get you the ball . . .
@wpw (Comment 4) : reckon you’ll see Duvenage ahead of Ricky, De Waal at 10 and Grant at 12.
@wpw (Comment 4) :
Mechanic???!!
@robdylan (Comment 6) :
Is Generaal back from the battlefields?
@robdylan (Comment 6) :
I hope not!!
De Waal will ‘stifle’ our new backline!!
@wpw (Comment 9) : Province will surely go with Grant or that new aussie, he looked exciting the one time I saw him play last year.
But if it`s a wet game, expect De Waal to start.
@Original Pierre (Comment 10) : the Aussie was a short-term thing. He’s back in Canberra
@Original Pierre (Comment 10) : The Ozzie was just there on a short term loan, he flew back to Oz after the semi final and went on EOYT where he broke his jaw 2 minutes into his “dayboo”
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 12) :
EINA!!
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 12) :
Where is KSA’s?? I miss them!
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 14) : No idea, maybe taking a lot of “naps”
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 15) :
They sure sound very ‘lovey dovey’ on FB lately!!
@wpw (Comment 16) : how sweet
Oubaas’s biggest problem is that he can’t access SW at work anymore.
@robdylan (Comment 17) :
Get a Blackberry..
@One-eyed Ice (Sailing the seas of 2010 with the Sharks) (Comment 18) : I’m surprised he hasn’t thought of that!
Why doesnt he change jobs.
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) :
even better, yes!
Some people just dont have their priorities right.
Tsk Tsk!