Stormers, Bulls lose top players to injury
THE Stormers might include centre Jaco Taute in the starting lineup to face the Brumbies at Newlands on Saturday even though he has not played a game in seven months.
Taute has been on the sidelines due to a knee injury sustained in pre-season. The last time he played a competitive match was in the Currie Cup final last October, but even so, he might be pressed into action this weekend.
“[Centre] Juan de Jongh has a hip pointer injury that could keep him out for 10 days,” Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said.
“Jaco [Taute] is available to play this weekend. He’s had one week of full training and ideally I’d like to see him come through 80 minutes at training and 40 minutes of Vodacom Cup.
“But given Juan’s injury, Jaco might come into the frame for selection at inside centre and we could move Damian de Allende to outside.”
The Stormers have also lost lock Ruan Botha for between three to six weeks after he tore ankle ligaments against the Cheetahs. Botha, in a “moon boot” and on crutches, was at a Springbok training camp in Johannesburg yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Bulls will have to finish off their Super Rugby season without scrumhalf Piet van Zyl.
It was confirmed yesterday that the 25-year-old Springbok halfback would be out of action for the remainder of the season after rupturing his ACL in his left knee on Saturday in the Pretoria side’s 35-33 win over Gauteng rivals, the Lions.
This is one of a number of injury concerns which have hit the Bulls before they leave for Australasia next week.
Van Zyl launched the Bulls attack in their win at Loftus Versfeld at the weekend with two quick tries within 10 minutes after the first whistle to lay the foundation for Frans Ludeke’s side’s victory.
The diminutive No 9 did not finish the first half of the match as a result of knee injury.
The blow forced Springbok utility back Francois Hougaard to switch to halfback. DESPERATE to end the season with a bang, EP Kings coach Mzwandile Stick may be tempted to give Springboks Luke Watson and CJ van der Linde run-on starts when they clash with a Sharks XV on Friday (kick-off 7pm).
Though neither team can reach the quarterfinals of the Vodacom Cup, they will be keen to salvage some pride at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium after what has been an indifferent season for both teams.
Watson and Van der Linde have both come on from the bench in the Kings’ past two matches against the Eagles and Cavaliers, and Stick may opt to have them in from the start on Friday.
When the Kings romped to a 44-10 win over Boland on Saturday, prop Van der Linde replaced Simon Kerrod in the