SP has a chance to own a super jersey again
SP MARAIS may have struggled to make a proper statement with the Bulls, but after signing with the Stormers, he might just get to make one good enough to secure the fullback jersey.
And with Cheslin Kolbe bidding farewell to the Stormers and Western Province at the end of the Super Rugby season, Marais has a real shot.
The 27-year-old wasn’t the first choice when it came to the No 15 position with the three-time Super Rugby winners, and he didn’t get to clock up the minutes and appearances he would have liked, but with Kolbe’s time with the Stormers coming to an end, the experienced Marais can determine his own future in Cape Town.
Last year, Kolbe had a rather disappointing season, during which he robbed fans of his typical, exciting, attack-fromthe-back approach and instead substituted it with aimless down-the-throat kicking and hesitant attacking play from the back.
He sometimes looked as if he did not know what to do with the ball in his hands, and his hesitant play often saw him being taken down before he could even create something.
But regardless of how Kolbe performed last year, it’s a good thing that the Stormers have thrown out their net to catch the former Shark Marais.
Marais’ signing can not only bring back-up for Kolbe for this year, but his presence also allows the Cape side to bring someone into the system who can be a real option at No 15 after Kolbe.
Of course there is also Jaco Taute, but this man’s outings last year didn’t exactly leave us with a lot of enthusiasm. And some of them were downright shocking.
He disappointed in many matches with fumbled catches at the back, poor kicking and decision-making and, of course, he didn’t come close to posing the attacking threat that Kolbe did.
Marais, who has also had a stint with the Kings, can add a lot to the Stormers with his aerial abilities, strong running and accurate passing.
His solid boot has strongly aided the Sharks and the Bulls’ long kicking game, and he can surely add some decent depth to the fullback position.
So, as we bid farewell to Kolbe, let’s hope that Marais can make the fullback position his own, just like Kolbe did. The other four new Stormers signings … Ramone Samuels A forward who can do his thing at both hooker and in the loose trio, Samuels’ return to Cape Town can significantly boost the Stormers’ stocks up front. His signing is a favourable one for Province and the Stormers, who last year ran low on resources at No 2 with both Scarra Ntubeni and Bongi Mbonambi being included in the Springbok squad. Johan du Toit The younger brother of Stormers and Springbok man Pieter-Steph du Toit is a powerful loose forward who can make himself at home in more than one position in the back row. At 1.93cm and 108kg, Johan is no small frame either, and he can add great physicality to the pack. Stephan de Wit In an unfortunate incident, the Lions loose forward, who was signed by the Stormers to fulfil a ball-fetching role, suffered an injury during training with Robbie Fleck’s team that effectively killed all the early excitement some of us felt when we thought that the Stormers’ openside flank worries were finally something of the past.
His presence, although he will be sidelined for the near future, should prove valuable, with the Stormers needing to fill the openside void and desperate to bring balance to the loose trio. Dan Kriel An exciting, versatile back, Dan Kriel is a promising youngster who can use his versatility to his advantage with the Stormers. But with guys like Huw Jones, Dan du Plessis, Juan de Jongh and Damian de Allende in midfield, and Werner Kok, Seabelo Senatla and Leolin Zas queuing at wing, it will not be an easy task.