Stormers drop Jantjies

STORMERS coach Allister Coetzee has axed flyhalf Elton Jantjies and recalled fit-again centre Jean de Villiers for their season-ending Super 15 fixture against the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.

De Villiers has recovered from a sternum injury he sustained playing for the Springboks in June, while Jantjies has paid the price for another patchy performance against the Kings last week. The mercurial flyhalf missed several tackles and again failed to direct the backline accurately as the Stormers laboured to a 24-12 win.

He has been replaced by Gary van Aswege.

Coetzee sugar-coated the axing, reasoning that it was to do with a left and right-footed kicking combination with fullback Joe Pietersen out through injury, but it is hard to buy that theory having witnessed Jantjies’s mediocrity all season.

Pietersen’s injury means no sendoff for the fullback at Newlands, as he takes up a contract with club side Biarritz in France at the conclusion of the campaign.

“With Gio [Aplon] at fullback, a left-footer, bringing in Gary at flyhalf gives us the important option of having the com- bination of a left- and right-footed kicker [in our backline],” Coetzee said.

In the midfield De Villiers takes over from Damian de Allende, who drops to the bench.

Although the Stormers are playing for little more than pride, they won’t do the Bulls any favours by rolling over, while there is also the small matter of a fitting sendoff for star wing Bryan Habana.