The Stormers won a high-scoring Super Rugby warm up game against the Lions by 57 points to 40 on Saturday and while coach Robbie Fleck will be pleased with the win, he has two new major injury blows to contend with just a fortnight before the competition proper kicks off.
Young speedster Leolin Zas suffered a horrible multiple fracture, snapping both tibia and fibula after coming on as a replacement. He is now expected to be out of action for up to a year. Adding further concern, captain on the day, Bok centre Juan de Jongh, picked up a knee injury; at this stage, it’s thought to be an MCL strain that should see him miss out on between two and three months of action.
Fleck has moved swiftly, contracting out-of-favour Bulls winger Bjorn Basson for the season, as well as inviting veteran Joe Pietersen to join his squad, initially just in a “mentorship” capacity, although we know how quickly that sort of thing can change when the pressure is on.
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How often year after year now we seeing long term injuries occurring in preseason. Yes some are obviously unavoidable due to the nature of the game but one also has to ask bout the conditioning of players in preseason and whether they really are ready for action etc.
@SheldonK (Comment 1) : I hear you, but I think that in a contact sport, something like a freak leg fracture is always going to be a possibility. Don’t think that has anything to do with conditioning.
@SheldonK (Comment 1) : Double fracture? Will he be the same once back? Really liked what he brought to Stormers so it will be a loss, especially with Van Wyk and Jones gone.
I am worried that Senatla might be thrown to the wolves vs the Kiwi sides.
All the ligament injuries does tend feel like insufficient / wrong conditioning. Aesthetic vs functional….
@SheldonK (Comment 1) : @robdylan (Comment 2) : @Kabouter (Comment 3) : Or perhaps a case of too much intensity too suddenly? Could there be some merit to rather gaining match fitness against something like a Bulls’ third team?
@robdylan (Comment 2) : @Kabouter (Comment 3) : @vanmartin (Comment 4) : Yeh look as i said some are unavoidable and just be chance…but some you do need to question especially the joint injuries as its often a case of muscle fatigue around that joint that results in the injury as the muscle cannot stabilise the joint. I just wanted to highlight the number of serious injuries every preseason now it seems…even if some are just accidental
Fleck must be kicking himself for losing Kobus to the Sharks,and it looks like Huw Jones is on his way too.
He ‘s welcome to Joe Petersen who must now wear the cap of chief rugby whore,this guy will still end up at the Kings.
@The hound (Comment 6) : Seems they not keen on all those hundreds of juniors they signed…will rather play guys like SP Marais and Basson etc
@The hound (Comment 6) : I imagine Joe was just chilling on the beach after pocketing lots of Japanese moola when he was asked to step into a mentoring role.
@The hound (Comment 6) : As for him landing up at the Kings, you could be right but I think it would depend on what the surfing opportunities would be.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 9) : J Bay is pretty good haha
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Roberto you see these rumours about a reduced competition in 2018 perhaps…interesting times
@SheldonK (Comment 11) : The negotiations will be a nightmare, especially for SARU I think. The America trying to buy a stake in the Kings is apparently only interested if a SR spot can be guaranteed. I’m expecting more compromises that are not in the interests of SA rugby at all.
@vanmartin (Comment 12) : U hit the nail on the head with the word Nightmare…
@The hound (Comment 6) : nope SP still beating him!
@SheldonK (Comment 10) : Yep, so the chances are pretty good that he will make a guest appearance there.
@SheldonK (Comment 11) : @vanmartin (Comment 12) : Have you guys got a link to this proposa…….or will it be up here soon Rob?
When is Kolbe leaving, and where is Aplon now.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 16) : it’s pretty vague. Sport24 jumping to a lot of confusions based on a very open reply from Marinos.
@The hound (Comment 17) : Kolbe leaves end of season, Aplon is with Grenoble.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Yeh very much in the press rumour mill at the moment.
@SheldonK (Comment 20) : I’m really keen to see Mark Alexander or anyone else at SARU suddenly have the balls to go explain that the Kings are, in fact, not going to be playing Super Rugby after this year.
That conversation is not going to go well.
@robdylan (Comment 21) : That should def broadcast that convo…id def get my popcorn
@robdylan (Comment 21) : Yip. My company wanted to sponsor Kings but we could not get guarantee on CC nor SR. It would have been the cheapest exposure at primetime in almost ever
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Thanks, will sift through it in time.
@Kabouter (Comment 23) : That would be a huge waste of money, no ways your logo would bevisible on the Kings ”Joseph’s multi coloured dream coa”t jerseys
@The hound (Comment 25) : Tha may be a problem but if every time the name was mentioned as The Kabouter Kings and the stadium was plastered with advertising it could still be very good exposure. I would remember the Kabouter Kings just from hearing it a few times in a game.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 26) : Kinda suits Cheeky the King Kabouter,and his son Dobbie the house elf. 😆
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 15) : @robdylan (Comment 18) : @SheldonK (Comment 20) : seemingly only Sport24 is “running” the story.
Think changes can only be made after 2018 as I’m sure there were broadcasting contracts signed until 2018 so I’m sure all those parties would have to OK any changes before 2019. Anyway OZ rugby bosses seemingly also made a u-turn on reducing their teams.
@Kabouter (Comment 23) : for sure would be but then again is it worth the risk of having your company name linked to a miss managed “bankrupt” team!?
If Jones also goes the Stormers are looking very thin at outside back and centre…Zas, de Jongh injured…van Wyk, Kotze, Jones, Taute all moved…
@pastorshark (Comment 30) : no worries they signed SP, Basson and JoeP!
@JD (Comment 31) : That underlines my point…
Guys I may have missed a trick here. Isn’t the whole reason we lost Joe because he was going to jap leagues? How is he in the market again?
@JD (Comment 31) : I actually think Basson could be good in the right team with the right coaching. Joe is a stop gap he was one for us and it seems he will be type cast as such in all clubs he joins.
@coolfusion (Comment 33) : also unclear….
@coolfusion (Comment 33) : @robdylan (Comment 35) : think maybe Sharks are not keen on having players on the dual contract?
@JD (Comment 36) : yeah. Look, Gary wants guys that are committed to the Sharks and the Sharks only. When Joe went to Japan, there was talk of negotiating to retain his services for SR, but I don’t think we tried all that hard.
@robdylan (Comment 37) : I think it’s Gary and RdP Snr that’s looking for players to commit to the Sharks and only the Sharks so yes don’t think they were going all out to keep him for SR. To be honest with Pat, Bosch, Benhard and April Sharks should be covered at 10 and personally I don’t see JoeP as a real option at 15.