Peter Grant will play flyhalf this Saturday as Willem de Waal isn’t match-fit.

De Waal struggled in last Saturday’s warm-up match against Boland, his first appearance in competitive rugby since July 2009. While he’s been cleared medically, Keo.co.za has it on good authority the Stormers coaches aren’t willing to risk him in the Super 14 opener against the Lions.

De Waal needs more game time, albeit at a lower level. The coaches aren’t willing to start him in such an important game against the Lions, as the jump in intensity could do his confidence more harm than good.

Although the Vodacom Cup is yet to get underway, Western Province will play the SWD Eagles in a friendly match this weekend. Those omitted from the Stormers’ match 22 will feature for WP, and De Waal should be among them.

Coach Allister Coetzee told this website on Saturday he’s fortunate to have a settled 10-12-13 combination in Grant, Juan de Jongh and Jaque Fourie, the same trio that faced the Force and Sharks in the Tri-Series. In a subsequent interview, he explained how the Stormers couldn’t go into the Super 14 with a player short on match-fitness.

Grant will spearhead the Stormers’ backline this Saturday, although it’s believed that when De Waal is ready, Grant will move back to No 12. De Jongh will be the unlucky loser in this situation, with Springbok Jaque Fourie holding a monopoly on the No 13 position.

De Jongh and Fourie formed a solid partnership in the warm-ups against the Force and Sharks, but the game at Ellis Park will require a lift in intensity. As Coetzee explains, the Lions are an unpredictable bunch, a fact that’s amplified with Carlos Spencer likely to start at flyhalf.

‘We saw just how physical they can be during the Currie Cup, and how they love to place you under pressure with that rush defence,’ Coetzee said. ‘Spencer will be a handful on attack. He has a few tricks up his sleeve and has plenty of experience to boot, but while we need to shut him down on attack, we can’t afford to forget about the other dangermen in the Lions team.

‘Earl Rose, Doppies la Grange, Alwyn Hollenbach and Deon van Rensburg are all dangerous players, and as a rule you can never write the Lions off. Our defence has been excellent in the warm-ups, but it will be another test this Saturday. We have to back our systems to withstand their all-out attack.’

Grant is one of the better backline defenders in South Africa while Fourie is known for his sharp decision-making in the outside channels. The possible weak link is De Jongh, a natural No 13 who has no experience at No 12 beyond the Currie Cup and no Super Rugby experience to speak of.

The 21-year-old is an aggressive defender with a robust attitude belying his small stature, but could find the Super 14 vastly different to the Currie Cup. He’s a talented player who will need to adjust quickly if he’s going to survive.

Apart from Grant, the Stormers are short on No 12 options given Paul Bosch’s elbow dislocation in the win over Boland. Coetzee has confirmed Bosch will be sidelined for six to eight weeks while Morgan Newman will only be available for selection after the fourth round of competition.

By Jon Cardinelli

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 5:13 am and is filed under Super 14. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.