Fleck spoilt for choice against the Brumbies

Stormers coach Robbie Fleck has some selection posers for this Saturday’s Super Rugby game against the Brumbies.

After his young team performed so well against the Rebels last week in Melbourne‚ winning 41-24 for their first victory outside of South Africa in two years‚ Fleck has a happy conundrum.

With Siya Kolisi and PieterSteph du Toit both available this weekend after missing the match in Melbourne‚ Fleck might have to drop impressive Ernst van Rhyn or Kobus van Dyk to accommodate them.

No 8 Jaco Coetzee is injured and therefore one back-row place has opened up‚ making Fleck’s choice a little easier.

“The trick now is to keep the momentum and the confidence within the group and after a win like that you do want to reward people who did well‚ and that will form a big part of our selection this week‚” Fleck said.

“We have the likes of Siya and Pieter-Steph coming back‚ and obviously we welcome those guys back‚ but a big part of our selection will be the fact that we did well in our last game.”

In terms of locks, Fleck can stick with Cobus Wiese and Salmaan Moerat because he really has no other option.

Eben Etzebeth‚ JD Schickerling and Chris van Zyl are all out injured, meaning the impressive youngsters will have another chance.

But in the back row Juarno Augustus gave his best performance off the bench last week and Fleck could be tempted to reintroduce Kolisi and Du Toit from the bench‚ with an eye to their return fixture against the Bulls on April 27.

In fact‚ the team that played against the Rebels was similar to the one that beat the Bulls in the preseason Super Hero Sunday game in Cape Town.

“You will remember that we spoke about this after the Marvel game‚” Fleck said.

“There was a very similar team that played there‚ and we were exceptionally good against the Bulls‚ and the same guys were good against the Rebels.

“It was very heartening to see how the guys just went out and played their best rugby and didn’t get weighed down by the pressure of the situation we were in.

“It does make selections difficult for us now‚ but that is healthy. There is a lot more intensity in training now‚ there is more competition for places.

“That is good‚ it keeps everyone on their toes.”

The Lions have been pressed into late changes for their match against the Chiefs after wing Courtnall Skosan had to urgently return home from New Zealand.

Skosan was named in the team for Friday’s Super Rugby clash, but the Lions announced on Wednesday the Springbok had to return home because his father is gravely ill.

Sylvian Mahuza‚ who was selected at fullback‚ will move to right wing‚ while Andries Coetzee is elevated from the bench to fullback.

Ruan Combrinck‚ who was not in the original match-day squad‚ now cracks the nod among the substitutes.

Tyrone Green‚ who made his Super Rugby debut earlier this season‚ will join the squad as replacement for Skosan.

If the Lions have had to make some urgent alterations‚ the Chiefs, too, have to rapidly rearrange the deck chairs.

The Chiefs have been dealt more cruel blows ahead of the clash following star fullback Damian McKenzie’s withdrawal due to long-term injury.

Now they also have to come to terms with the fact that world-class lock Brodie Retallick and hooker Nathan Harris will also be sidelined.

Perhaps in recognition of the Lions’ patchy form this season‚ the Chiefs have opted not to risk Retallick and Harris and rather give them sufficient time to recover before pressing derby matches against the Hurricanes and the Highlanders.

The Chiefs will be captained by Brad Weber.