Only best will do for Stormers in play-off against Brumbies
ARMED with the lessons from previous knockout defeats, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has vowed to pick the best team for Saturday’s play-off against the Brumbies.
Regular captain and No 8 Duane Vermeulen seems set for a starting role, with Coetzee saying he will still go for a second and third opinion on his neck injury issues.
“We will be selecting our best possible side, not a hooker playing at eight, which was the case the last time we played in a knockout game.
“We now have Nizaam Carr, who is an eight and we can select him in that position. We will have Eben Etzebeth and Manuel Carizza ready and we will have our first choice front row ready,” Coetzee said
“In the last couple of years we have started off with a bang, but by the business end of the tournament, we would be hit by injuries.
“We would not be able to ro- tate players but this year we have been able to rotate them.
“Now I can get to the playoffs and still select the best possible side.”
Despite Saturday’s 34-12 loss to an emotionally fired-up Sharks at King’s Park, Coetzee was happy with how his young charges faced the inspired unit which was bidding farewell to three stalwarts.
With 14 changes made from the team that drew against the Lions, the lack of synergy and cohesion was apparent.
While he came out on the wrong side of the result, Coet- zee felt vindicated by resting his starting players even though they trained this week.
The solidity at the set-pieces and an improved driving maul were the few positives Coetzee took out of the scrappy defeat.
An eye was cast on the Brumbies-Crusaders game which the Canberra side lost 37-24, but Coetzee was loath to say whether he would exploit the weaknesses exposed by Todd Blackadder’s side.
When the Brumbies’ scrum and maul is nullified, they look like an Australian version of the Blue Bulls – devoid of ideas.
“Despite the result, the Brumbies are a very good team and we will need to prepare well for them. We need to make sure that the defence of the driving maul is up to scratch because that is a department they are really sharp in,” Coetzee said.
“Resting the players was massively important and it was not something I was trying to be clever with. This is something we had tested in the Currie Cup, which is a shorter but continuous competition.
“There is no break in that tournament so you have to create your own breaks to keep the players energetic from a mental and physical perspective.”
Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold was mildly happy with the win despite the hollowness of the occasion.
His thoughts were preoccupied with keeping what he has left after losing three stalwarts in the Du Plessis brothers Jannie and Bismarck, and Willem Alberts.
“We knew what was going to happen this week with them leaving so it has been a tough couple of weeks. It is sad to lose such stalwarts.
“Top players move on but it is quite a blow when you lose three of them at once.”
Saturday’s playoff fixtures are: Highlanders v Chiefs, 9.35am, Dunedin, New Zealand; Stormers v Brumbies, 5.05pm, Cape Town