Will Seabelo Senatla be running onto the green grass of Newlands in the blue and white of the Stormers against the Rebels?
Apparently, that could be entirely up the flying winger himself if the Stormers coach Allister Coetzee’s comments are anything to go by.
Senatla was due to arrive back in Cape Town after the conclusion of the Sevens World Series. The Blitzboks finished second on the overall series standings, thanks largely to Senatla’s tries. And the flyer, who ended the series atop of the try-scorers’ list, has been nominated for the Sevens Player of the Year award along with compatriot Werner Kok.
Senatla was also one of the standout players for the Western Province in their Currie Cup triumph last year, and was included in the Springbok touring party for their end of year trip to Europe.
Coetzee said he will have a chat with the Senatla to find out “where his head is at” following a gruelling fortnight with the Bok Sevens team in Glasgow and London.
Coetzee hinted yesterday that it might be better for Senatla to have the week off and recharge his batteries ahead of the Stormers’ last three matches against the Cheetahs, Lions and Sharks.
The problem is, though, that Senatla needs to play four matches in order to be eligible for the Super Rugby playoffs. And the Stormers certainly need a player of his awesome ability to try and make the final of the competition for the first time in five years.
Coetzee and his coaching staff are well aware of that rule, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone, not even the Rebels, if the Welkom speedster comes straight into the side in order to give the Stormers a bit of “X-Factor” and a lot more bite on attack. “I would love to rope him in. But you don’t know where Seabelo is mentally and his physical state,” Coetzee told the media yesterday. “According to the Sevens’ medical staff he has a slight thigh injury.
“They are landing today, and by tomorrow we will have a chat to Seabelo.
“We all know his ability. He is a game-breaker and he has got the X-Factor, but he first has to join up with the team to see where he is at.
“I don’t want to play him if he is 80 percent. At least I have time before we announce the team. I want him medically fit and mentally in the right frame of mind. But it’s not out of the question that he can play this weekend,” Coetzee added.
The Stormers, though, should strongly consider this kid because of what he can bring to the table, even if it means starting this weekend’s match off the bench. Tries have been hard to come by for the Stormers, because they haven’t been able convert their chances on attack.
Senatla is the sort of player who can convert a half chance into five, a match winner.
Match winners in South Africa are scarce commodity at the moment, and Senatla is a match-winner in the mould of a Bryan Habana and Joost van der Westhuizen, a special player with an extraordinary ability to change the outcome of a match. - The Star