Fleck happy with just two warm-ups for Super quest
STORMERS coach Robbie Fleck believes that their two Super Rugby pre-season games were “sufficient” to prepare them for their opener against the Jaguares tomorrow at Newlands (kickoff 3.05 pm).
In their first friendly, the Stormers thumped SWD Eagles 77-0, and in a tense second warm-up game, they drew 26-all against the Bulls.
In addition, Fleck said that they also included some Western Province players in their training session – something he believes helped a lot.
“We were always going to have (only) those two warm-up games. We were going to organise a third, but that didn’t come around. The two warm-up games for us were sufficient. We’ve been training pretty hard against each other and we’ve got a fairly large squad. With all the injuries, we’ve had a number of Western Province players attending our training and with that we’ve been able to get through a number of hard sessions. So hopefully that will stand us in good stead for this weekend.”
And in terms of the team he named for the weekend’s fixture, Fleck is also confident that locks JD Schickerling and Chris van Zyl have what it takes to step in for Springbok lock duo Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Schickerling and Van Zyl will start at No 4 and 5 respectively in the absence of Etzebeth – who is recovering from a shoulder injury that could keep him on the sidelines for four months, and Du Toit, who is struggling with a back injury and failed a fitness test this week.
And although it’s obviously not ideal to go into any contest without the Bok lock, Fleck said he’s “certainly backing” the combination of Schickerling and Van Zyl.
“He (Du Toit) has been struggling with his back for some time now. He injured (it) again during training last week and he hasn’t trained this week. But hopefully he’ll be good to go on tour,” Fleck said.
“These are the starting Currie Cup locks – JD Schickerling started last year and Chris van Zyl led the side to Currie Cup victory, so I’ve got no doubts in terms of what they can do. They’ve played plenty of Super Rugby last year for us as well. Obviously Eben and Pieter-Steph are big losses for the team, but we certainly back whoever comes into their positions. ”
In the backline, Raymond Rhule will make his Stormers debut on the left wing, while JJ Engelbrecht, Carlu Sadie and George Whitehead – on loan from Griquas – could make their first Stormers appearance off the bench this weekend.
Fleck said that he is excited to see how the Rhule, along with the three other players on the bench, will go on Saturday.
“Raymond is a pretty exciting player for us, he’s got a lot of speed and he’s a great finisher. He’s fitted in greatly and the boys enjoy him,” he said.
“Carlu Sadie is a young kid, he played Under-21 last year with the winning WP side. I thought he played well against the Bulls in the warm-up. It’s a big challenge for him – especially against the Jaguares who are known for their scrummaging – but he’s exceeded our expectations in the off-season.”
“George has impressed us during the pre-season as well. He’s a skilful player and his game sense is outstanding and he’s nice and calm on the ball. JJ is an experienced campaigner, he’s been brought in to add a bit of size and pace to the backline.”
Meanwhile, WP Rugby Group CEO, Paul Zacks, welcomed sponsors Warwick and said the union was excited to be linked to the investment brand.
“It is our pleasure to welcome Warwick to the fold here at Newlands, we are very excited to be associated with another top brand. (They) are leaders in their field, which makes them a good fit with our teams and the rest of our valued sponsors and partners,” he said.
The new sponsorship deal sees Warwick join fellow associate sponsors, Land Rover and BrightRock, along with the title sponsor DHL.