In a move that should surprise most Stormers supporters, Allister Coetzee has selected Bryan Habana at outside centre for their final pre-season match against the Kings in PE this Saturday.
Star Springbok centre Juan de Jongh has injured his jaw, the seriousness of the injury though has yet to be confirmed. There will also be a return to action for both Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen who have been out injured for a considerable period of time.
Jean de Villers captains the side which is very close to the 1st choice XV which will face the Hurricanes in their SupeRugby opener on Saturday 25 February.
Here is the team:
1. Steven Kitshoff, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg 3. Brok Harris 4. Rynhardt Elstadt 5. Andries Bekker 6. Siya Kolisi 7. Duane Vermeulen 8. Nick Koster 9. Louis Schreuder 10. Gary van Aswegen 11. Gio Aplon 12. Jean De Villiers 13. Bryan Habana 14. Gerhard van den Heever 15. Joe Pietersen
Reserves:
16. Deon Fourie 17. Deon Carstens 18. Siyabonga Ntubeni 19. Frans Malherbe 20. Eben Etzebeth 21. De Kock Steenkamp 22. Nizaam Carr 23. Nic Groom 24. Burton Francis 25. Marcel Brache 26. Danie Poolman
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Let’s go Stormers let’s go!!
Ha, they saw how well JP went there and now they’re jumping on the move wings to centre bandwagon… Hope JDJ hasn’t contracted glassjaw syndrome from Colin Slade…
Not a terrible idea, Habana’s attacking effectiveness on the wing is questionable these days.
what is this with the wings moveing to centre who’s next, basson ?
This is a smart move..
His loss in pace prevents him from being an out and out wing, but centre could do him good and get his hands on the ball more often.
This will also test his defensive capabilities..
@berroos (Comment 4) :
Basson can’t tackle as it is..
Maybe the Bulls should try him there then, couldn’t be any worse than Meisiekind…
I like the move. Never a bad idea to have lots of depth in a position for the Boks and we have better wingers than Habana. He was brilliant at 13 for the Lions and maybe getting his hands on the ball more will increase his confidence and improve his form.
Why Koster at 8? I prefer Vermeulen there as I think he’ll be the Bok eighthman. He’s got that hard edge that the Boks need!!
So both springbok wingers trying out for outside center. Interesting times!
How times have changed.
Last year I would have read ‘Habana is sh*t’ or something similar. 😈
Cue the appearance of KSA Shark to make me eat my words!
There are quite a few wings that have interchanged with outside centre over the years. On attack they will be fine but defending at 13 is a lot different to defending at 11/14. Habana played centre through age group rugby so moving back to 13 isnt the biggest surprise.
@King Shark (Comment 9) : Perhaps they’re realizing that Heyneke Meyer may not be as accommodating as Peter de Villiers was?
Looks like we could have a backline made up of former Bok wingers
9. Hougaard
10. Jean De Villiers
11. Mvovo
12. Jacque Fourie
13. Habana
14. Ndungane
15. JPP
World’s fastest backline 😀
Wes sent them an email! 😉
Well he did play 13 for the Lions ..
Is Duvenhage being rested or has he got some or other injury niggle?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 16) : He was injured but is almost fit again apparently.
So who would come into the side for the match against the Hurricanes?
JDJ at 13, Habana to 14 and vdHeever out.
Duvenhage and Grant in for Schreuder and van Aswegen?
What about the front row? Will Kitshoff start?
@ChrisS (Comment 17) :
Thank you!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 19) : No prob Rich.
I reckon their best side will be:
9. Duvenhage
10.Grant
11.van den Heever
12.JDV
13.JDJ
14.Aplon
15.Joe Pietersen
I spoke to a lady about watching live rugby, then she told me about the game she watched live, WP won the CC. Afterwards I felt so bad because I kept calling her by her name and never realized that she was THAT OLD 😉
@Franshark (Comment 21) :
@vanmartin (Comment 12) : I think you are SO spot-on!!
Bryan Habana… Yawn… Halycon days are almost a distant memory. I sincerely hope not to see Bryan Habana in a Bok jersey ever again. There is so much young talent abound, wish he too would move to Japan… He’d do great there… Might actually not be booed at games… He can’t beat Gio Aplon, nor Mvovo on the wings – nor Hougaard if there is a bolter at national level WRT to scrumhalf, and he is definitely not better than JPP or JDJ… He is The Stormers’ Marius Joubert…
… Nothing against Bryan Habana personally, I am not criticizing the man – if he feels he can add value, then he must show us what he can do… But for too long have we been waiting for Habana to show us his old self – but thats it – he’s old… It’d be a crime to play him ahead of the talent that is out there…
On a more positive note; great to see Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen back in the big time… Good rugby players… Like them or not, they have a lot to offer SA Rugby, and Duane and AB were undisputed leaders in their respective positions last season.
Hope no player gets run into the ground like these boys were last season…
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 5) : and he’ll fail miserably.
Center crisis at the Stormers anyone? to follow on their flyhalf crisis. 😳
@wpw (Comment 10) : This year you’ll read the words.
Habana was shit for three seasons already. 😆
I smell a rat… why does’nt AC chose that JP du Plessis guy? Instead he chose Brache… This Du Plessis is a machine and has skills to die for. I saw him playing a few times and against the Lions u/21-game, he scored 4 tries. Why did AC choose Brache??????
@oompie (Comment 28) : because it’s a warm up game maybe?
@oompie (Comment 28) :
You raise a good point..
If this JP oke is half as good as people are making him out to be, he would have had some game time by now… surely?
Well Richard, did you see Brache playing? I can understand the move-thing of Habana, but geee… Brache over du Plessis… Does’nt make sense to me.
@oompie (Comment 31) : Couldn’t agree more. W/Cape is meant to be the hub of quality centres in SA. Hard to believe they can’t find anything better than Brache.
Not trying to diss Brache but I think he’ll be out of his depth at SR level.
JP still has time on his side and so does Michael vd Spuy but I suspect both are already better players than Brache.
Brache can play 12,13, wing and FULL-BACK. I think thats the only ‘stupid’ reason why he was chosen ahead of JP Du Plessis. Because its quite certain that JP has bundles more talent than Brache.
I’m not a fan of Brache and the other two centres in Berton Klassen & Michael Van der Spuy. If I was the brains trust at Stomers/WP I would be playing Patrick Howard at centre for WP in the Vodacom Cup as well.
It is going to be difficult for Heyneke to select JP du Plessis for the Boks if he is only playing Vodacom Cup!
But seriously, how old is Brache compared to JPdP?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 34) : LOL 🙂 Sarcastic smiley 🙂
Habana started in the centre role so it shouldnt be too unfamiliar for him.
Kan dit nie reguit se nie, maar hoekom waai al die …… daar? Kyk bietjie na al die laaste skuiwe wat gemaak is…spanne…en rassie en al die ander ouens wat pad gevat het. What’s going on in WP ouens?? Word jy gekies op grond van jou spelpeil of volgens iets anders? Vra maar net…
Habana started out at 13 maybe that is just what he needs to regain his form
Wel sterkte vir die stormers. AC lyk vir my maar baie senuweeagtig. Maar maak nie saak nie….GO SHARKS!!!!
Nothing wrong with Habana at 13- he is big,strong and yes still quick..check footage from the Baabaas game end of last year, he was the best back! And Brache over Jp Dup because Brache played CC. Just because a guy has a few good games for the babies doesnt mean he should leapfrog everyone senior to him and jump straight into the starting side! Earn your place! Too many youngsters hav big heads in this country! Win a JWC then talk…
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 30) :
Rich
I saw JP play on Saturday and he did absolutely nothing!!
JP du Plessis is the most hyped up youngster never to have played either CC or SupeRugby! 🙄
Jeez!!
@wpw (Comment 41) :
Thank you for some feedback Wes.. Nobody else sees when the kid plays kak.
I will be honest, feelings about the hype aside, the bits of ball he got in the U21 match against the Sharks last year, he showed brilliance, but never really pushed on for a complete performance.
@oompie (Comment 31) : @beet (Comment 32) :
I am in no way punting Brache and you guys may be right about JP being better but from what I saw on Saturday at least Brache tried to make things happen and JP was no where.
In fact Brache made one or two good linebreaks and was involved in the game. He wasn’t brilliant but he was also not bad.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 42) :
I don’t think one can judge him based on one or two games and I really hope he makes it (especially at WP)
I’m just a bit concerned about all the hype!! 😉
@beet (Comment 32) :
Hey beet.
What is your opinion of Danie Poolman??
I suspect he is finding it very difficult to make the step up from junior rugby and yet he has pace and the physique to be successful at CC and SR level.
I really rate him but he doesn;t seem to look for work from the wing and he isn’t as involved as the likes of Aplon or Habana.
@wpw (Comment 44) :
If he can’t stand out in an U21 game, then one has to wonder..
But look, if he is this next great legendary centre, then I wish him all the best and hope to see him play in the Green and Gold. If not, I hope Province never stop selecting him 😉
I agree with anyone saying that not every junior player can make the step to seniors successfully. It’s just that Brache fits the profile of the kind of centre the Sharks wud end up with and JP seems like he was made to play for Province. But a bird in the hand (in this case Brache) is worth you know what.
I have a complete different take on JP’s performance vs the Sharks u21 last year. For many of us due to junior rugby TV coverage cut backs, the live game was the only chance to see him in action. He wasn’t in the same category as Sadie who cruised thru gaps at will but then again, that whole 2010 WP u21 team was virtually unstoppable. I thought JP was easily the best centre on the park but not flattering in a Sadie kind of way. JP’s technique was excellent at KP. His lateral movement is good and decision-making sound. I really liked the way he challenged the D line in tight situations by manufacturing half gaps and then always looking to keep the ball alive as first option. He has this little step that is potentially lethal in open play but even in close contact he uses it well to buy time and generate forward motion. I wasn’t blown away by his performance on the day but impressed.
@wpw (Comment 45) : He’s already exceeded expectations for me but then again so have so many of those WP youngsters. Last year was a freakish season. I’m surprised that you say he wasn’t working hard coz usually he tries to keep himself extremely busy on the field.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 46) :
hahahaha 😆
GAAN KYK NA BEELDMATERIAAL VAN DIE WEDSTRYD TUSSEN WP O/21 EN LIONS O/21 DAN PRAAT ONS WEER OOR JP DU PLESSIS. 4 DRIEE…
@oompie (Comment 50) : Oom hoe moet ek werke gaan om hierdie beeldmateriaal te bekom?
@oompie (Comment 50) : nobody’s deaf here, oompie…
@oompie (Comment 50) :
Lions se Onder 21 span was super kak want helfte van hul spelers was in die hoof span.
En al was dit n goeie O21 span, dis nogsteeds net junior rugby. Hy moet homself bewys saam die groot manne!
@oompie (Comment 37) :
Go read the SW rules, Sonny Jim.
@Big Fish (Comment 54) : also not liking where this is going, but let’s wait till he unleashes the other barrel (into the other foot) and then see what we need to do.
@robdylan (Comment 55) :
I was waiting, keeping an eye, but nothing came of it..
@Big Fish (Comment 54) : Hi Fish,
Congrats – this is super 😎
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 56) : I’m sure the Bulls wings will be saying the exact same thing on Sat night after play playing outside Venter and Sadie.
@beet (Comment 58) : 😆
@beet (Comment 58) :
Brilliant!!
@rekinek (Comment 57) :
Thank’ee kindly ma’am! 😆