Stormers flyhalf set to continue
YOUNGSTER RECOVERING FROM QUAD INJURY Team management confident Whitehead can do the job.
There was puzzlement when the Stormers decided to take George Whitehead on loan from Griquas as extra flyhalf depth in this year’s Super Rugby campaign but now that decision looks pretty prudent.
Paul Feeney, the Cape franchise’s assistant coach, revealed yesterday the team would have to delve into that reserve fund because Damian Willemse is unlikely to play against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday. The 19-year-old pivot, considered a prodigy for his brilliant attacking play, injured his quad in last weekend’s last-gasp 34-27 loss to the Waratahs.
“It was quite a heavy knock and we will know in the next 48 hours whether he will be able to play,” said Feeney. “Let’s put it this way, if we were playing the game on Thursday, he definitely would not be able to play, so we are really unsure at this stage.”
Robert du Preez’s switch to Durban and the persistent injuries sustained by Jean-Luc du Plessis made Whitehead’s recruitment almost essential even before Willemse’s injury but there will be reservations about him anyway.
The 28-year-old has previous Super Rugby experience with the Kings and Cheetahs but is known for being merely solid rather than spectacular. Feeney, though, is more than willing to let Whitehead start from a blank page.
“Obviously Damian is our preferred starting flyhalf but we have confidence in George and I thought he did okay against the Waratahs,” said the New Zealander.
“There was not one person who made a difference to that result. I thought he did a reasonable job and although he hasn’t played much Super Rugby he does boast quite a lot of experience.”
A more radical option would be to employ Dillyn Leyds in the No 10 jersey.
That seems unlikely though given the fact that the Stormers are playing a game where self-preservation might be more of a target than a victory.