INLSA

Stomers flank Siya Kolisi charges through the tackles of Cheetahs loose forwards Heinrich Brussow and Davon Raubenheimer at Newlands on Saturday. Photo: Matthew Jordaan

Ashfak Mohamed

THE SOS call to flyhalf Peter Grant in Japan needs to be made as soon as possible if the Stormers hope to at least emulate their last two Super Rugby campaigns by reaching the semi-finals.

That much should’ve become clear for coach Allister Coetzee after Saturday’s 22-14 defeat to the Cheetahs at Newlands. Coetzee blooded a lot of young talent for Western Province during the Currie Cup, but he admitted that “things are a lot clearer” in terms of what his best Stormers team should be following their defeat to the Cheetahs.

Most of the Stormers second-stringers struggled to cope with the intensity of a full-strength Cheetahs side at Newlands, which will make Coetzee’s job of cutting the squad to 30 players today for the Super Rugby tournament easier.

Coetzee said last week that there is “less pressure” with regards to Grant’s return to the Cape compared to last year, as he felt that the four flyhalves in his squad were capable enough.

But with none of Catrakilis, Gary van Aswegen, Burton Francis or Kurt Coleman able to prove in the warm-up phase that they can take control of the Stormers backline, Grant’s arrival in Cape Town will be awaited with great anticipation.

Catrakilis often just aimlessly passed the ball down the backline, even when the Cheetahs employed their rush-defence tactics. Centres Andries Strauss and Robert Ebersohn were quickly on to Stormers pair Marcel Brache and JP du Plessis, which opened up space for Catrakilis on the inside. But the former UCT Varsity Cup star didn’t try to take those gaps.

Even his normally ice-cool goal-kicking wasn’t up to scratch as he missed three out of six shots at goal, although two attempts were quite difficult.

Coetzee said he was returning from injury as well. “Demetri wasn’t considered for the Lions game because he sustained a hamstring injury and was out for two weeks,” he said. “For a first game, there were things he did well and things that he can really improve on.”

Good news about Grant is that his Japanese club Kobe Steelers lost a league match 32-28 against Suntory Sungoliath in Tokyo yesterday, which means that Kobe failed to secure automatic qualification to the playoffs. Kobe will now have to play in a wildcard tournament in the next two weeks for one of two spots in the playoffs.

So, if Kobe fail to qualify, Grant could be back in Cape Town in time for the Stormers’ second match against the Sharks at Newlands on March 3.

Van Aswegen seems to be Coetzee’s preferred flyhalf, and is likely to be given another start in this Saturday’s final warm-up against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth.

Coetzee said that he will pick his strongest possible side for that match, with stalwarts Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen expected to play for the first time in 2012. But there is still a question mark over scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage (toe), who will return to full training for the first time today.

Nic Groom was hampered by the Cheetahs’ persistent disruption at the breakdown, which wasn’t always done in a legal manner. The UCT scrumhalf was caught a couple of times when trying to clear the ruck, so that may also have affected his Stormers chances.

Veteran Bolla Conradie looked sharp when he came on in the second half and was smooth in his delivery from the rucks, so he should wear the No 9 jersey against the Hurricanes on February 25, but Coetzee is likely to opt for Duvenage.

The coach added that newcomers such as lock Eben Etzebeth, No 8 Nizaam Carr and wing Ederies Arendse had performed well, but still needed some “technical work and one-on-one coaching”.

“If I take Eben Etzebeth, I can tick his box as a four-lock, but maybe not as a number five yet. Nizaam Carr, I can tick a box, he’s unbelievable. But he’s got to maybe work on his engagement process, as a young player,” Coetzee said.

“I am pleased with a club player like Ederies Arendse – he had an outstanding game. I think he played well, and he is not even long in our systems. (But) Just for example, they got ahead and started using their kicking game to close it out, and his positional play ... We are still trying to get Gerhard van den Heever to slot in at fullback against a good kicking game.”

But one man who surely enhanced his reputation was flank Siya Kolisi. The former Grey PE pupil was a devastating runner with the ball, breaking through tackles, while he was powerful on defence too – often driving his opponents back.

The Stormers won’t have Francois Louw around to counter fetcher flanks such as Heinrich Brüssow – who was outstanding in stealing a couple of turnovers on Saturday – but Coetzee doesn’t think he needs a specialist replacement for Louw.

“In this game, certain okes got away with murder (Craig Joubert was the referee). Maybe they could’ve been penalised for slowing the ball down, just being offside, or not rolling away on purpose ... I know that when the Super 15 starts, the referees will be much harsher,” Coetzee said. “It’s got nothing to do with having an opensider on the field.”