Pete Schultz, the agent of Springbok loose forward Hilton Lobberts, confirmed on Wednesday that he is negotiating with Western Province, which means that Lobberts will be probably be available to play for the Stormers next year.
“The deal has not yet been concluded, but we’ve made a lot of progress,” Schultz told Die Burger.
Lobberts (22), who was born in Paarl, has played two Tests for South Africa. However, his rugby has largely stagnated since he started playing for the Blue Bulls a few seasons ago.
Lobberts turned in sterling performances for South Africa’s Under-19 and Under-21 sides from 2004 to 2006.
However, his discipline sometimes lets him down, and earlier this year he was sent to the sin bin at a critical stage late in the Currie Cup match between the Blue Bulls and WP.
Stephen Nell writes in Die Burger that it is now hoped that the mentoring of Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus will help get Lobberts’s career back on track.
“It is insightful to see what Rassie has done for Ricky Januarie’s and Conrad Jantjes’s careers. Their rugby has improved by 50 percent under him,” said Schultz.
“I think the problem in the Bulls camp is simply that they have already signed so many talented players in all the positions that it’s difficult for a player to get back into the team once he’s left it.”
Lobberts will lend depth to the Stormers at blind side flank and 8th man. There is also some talk that he may play as a lock next season.
Meanwhile it has also been confirmed that Lobberts will be on the sideline for at least six weeks after he broke his jaw on Monday during training.
The Blue Bulls team doctor Org Strauss confirmed that Lobberts broke his jaw in two places and that he had to go for an operation to repair the damage.
Coach Frans Ludeke said that Lobberts injured himself during a contact session on Monday when his head and that of another player collided in a ruck.
“It was a freak accident and I really feel sorry for Hilton because he put in the hard yards to regain his best form but such is life. He needs to work through this setback and come back a stronger person,” said Ludeke.
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Do they need another loosie in CT?
I was just telling Vinnie yesterday that he was silly to want Keegan Daniel as they already had enough loosies.
Good move by Lobberts. I still think he should move to the Sharks. But then again he does want to play under a coach who will bring out the best in him.
@wpw (Comment 2) :
He is going to have to learn Rassie’s colour charts pretty quickly 😉
IMO this could really rejuvenate his rugby career, said it from the start that he is in the wrong setup… 😉
@Charlie (Comment 4) :
I think that is one point that we all agree on, if he gets his discipline on the field sorted he will be a great player.
@wpw (Comment 2) : Only world-class coach left in RSA…
I disagree….he became a Bok at the Bulls…..and was it not for his discipline and the rich set of loose forwards we have in SA he would be a regular starter…
I guess when you have an abundance of good players in 1 position you leave it up to the player to sort himself out…
If Erasmus can train the untrainable then he is good.
And disagree that he will get more playing time at the Stormers…
loose forwards….Schalk, Watson, AJ, Louw, Schalkie, Telly-Tubby, Melck, etc…
So the same situation he is coming from…
He will have to lift his game if he wants game time in the S14….
@Hmmm (Comment 9) : telly tubby?
@Hmmm (Comment 7) :
Dude, that is like saying if All the hookers in the country were injured or not as good as they are then Brits would be the bok hooker.
You can’t do a comparison like that.
@robdylan (Comment 10) :
Diack i think?
@Hmmm (Comment 9) :
That goes inline with my first comment. There are so many loosies at ALL the provinces that anyone buying another is really a waste unless they know they are losing a few of their own AND they believe they can bring the best out of a certain player if he moves to them.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) :
Yes!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 11) :
It was not a comparison KSA…
Was stating that usually when teams have an abundence in a position they tend not to miss the player (work hard at getting him back as quick as possible)….unless the ONE player stands out head and shoulders above the rest…which is not the case with Lobberts…
Diack is learning the worlds to Oirlands call
Do you think they are truthfull about how he broke his jaw?
KSA, in the heading borken should read broken – I think.
@Salmonoid (Comment 18) :
Seems the heading is also broken 😉
Thanks fixing it now.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) :
or as it turns out, someone did it for me 😉
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 17) :
I agree…I blame Danie…they had a “prematch-prep boxing session”…alla 2003 WC squad…
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 17) :
I am sure it would have been seen by someone though.
If it happened in the Paarl over the weekend it would have been treated in CT somewhere.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 20) : 🙂
Not sure what “borken” actually means, but it sounds dirty 😉
No man when he tuned ludeke about moving to CT, he got a different reaction to what he expected. 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 22) : knowing this lad, it was probably in a drunken bar brawl at Drop Zone in Hatfield.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 24) : very sharp
Oh MY word!!!!!!!!!!
They are showing the Sharks lions on Showsport2 again.
Not gonna bother watching this time 🙁
@Hmmm (Comment 7) : Ja, but the Bulls have a trademark of dirty play & stywe arm tackles, so if you can’t beat them, join them… 😈
@Charlie (Comment 28) :
LoL
So the team fit him like a glove…he is gonna feel so out of place at WP then…LoL
I hope Rassie fines him his match fee plus expenses everytime he gets a yellow card.
@Charlie (Comment 28) : Hilton ‘JP’ Lobberts eh?
@robdylan (Comment 26) :
If bakkies was not the bulls’ enforcer he wouldn’t have ended up in court, he woulda had a broken jaw.
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 31) : With complete arm protector…ala JP & Matfield… 🙄
It will be up to the player to force the coach to select him.
He will have to work very hard and when he gets his chance he needs to take it with both hands.
@Charlie (Comment 33) : And Spies…lol!
Hilton Lobberts is a mediocre player indeed.
Hope the Goats don’t sign him otherwise they could have really many troubles with him… 😯
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 30) : hope Rassie fines him his match fee plus expenses everytime he gets a yellow card
Lobberts will have to pay in at the end of the season…LOL!