Stormers’ ultimate test in 2017 Super Rugby draw

No Aussie teams, a tour from hell in New Zealand, and opening and closing fixtures against arch-rivals the Bulls. That is the gloomy lot of the Stormers in the 2017 Super Rugby season.

If Robbie Fleck thought that his inaugural campaign as a Super Rugby head coach this year was tough, he’s got another thing coming next year.

How’s this for a Stormers draw, which was released by Sanzaar at midnight on Monday – kickoff against the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday, February 25; a three-match tour of New Zealand against the Crusaders, Highlanders and defending champions Hurricanes; and the last league clash is a trip to Loftus Versfeld to take on the Bulls on July 15.

The Stormers just made it into the Super Rugby playoffs in 2016, when they ended third on the overall log on 51 points despite being behind the Highlanders’ 52, by virtue of the fact that the Cape side won their Africa Conference 1.

But the effect of not playing any New Zealand opposition was laid bare when the Chiefs rolled into town and annihilated the Stormers 60-21 in the playoff qualifier at Newlands.

Fleck said afterwards that it was a brutal lesson in what the Stormers can expect in 2017. “The Chiefs just blew us away in that first half, and the tempo that they played at just killed us. It’s a taste of what’s going to come next year, for some of our young guys. Now they know what it’s like and what we have to do,” the former Springbok centre said.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve still got to get to grips with the intensity that they play at. But I think we can catch up. The Lions have proved it and what we’ve started this year, we would like to continue into next year. But they were just way too good for us. We will look at it this week and make plans for next year.”

Some of those plans include sending Fleck overseas to meet up with foreign coaches to discuss ideas and playing patterns, and one of those visits is taking place at the moment on the back of the Sanzaar meeting with CEOs and coaches in Sydney last week, where the Super Rugby draw was also finalised.

It is understood that Fleck was going to meet with some coaches in Australia and New Zealand, while he has previously said that he will be visiting England coach Eddie Jones later this year as the latter had promised to assist the Stormers following his dramatic departure from Newlands after two weeks in charge last November.

A former Blues assistant coach, Paul Feeney, also spent 10 days at Western Province recently to help the union’s teams make further strides in their goal to “play a positive and progressive brand of rugby across all of our teams”, according to director of rugby Gert Smal.

But Fleck and Smal face a serious challenge in terms of player resources for next season, as they have lost a number of match-23 regulars from the 2016 season. Jaco Taute, Kobus van Wyk, Nic Groom, Schalk Burger, Vincent Koch and Louis Schreuder have already signed for overseas teams, while it has been reported that Rynhardt Elstadt and Johnny Kotze could be on their way out of Cape Town too.

In addition, Scarra Ntubeni’s serious Achilles tear could see him miss the first half of next year as well, while promising young lock Jean Kleyn has also moved to Munster in Ireland.

Smal hasn’t signed any big-name replacements as yet, as he only brought in the likes of Werner Kok, Dewaldt Duvenage, Scott van Breda, Martin Ferreira, Neil Rautenbach and Stefan Willemse for the Currie Cup.

It is known that Fleck wants a specialist openside flank to complement the running skills of Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr and Sikhumbuzo Notshe in the loose trio, and WP coach John Dobson said last week that Smal “is working on that”.

But the Stormers should be able to field a strong first XV that could look something like this for the Bulls opener: Cheslin Kolbe, Dillyn Leyds, Juan de Jongh (captain), Damian de Allende, Seabelo Senatla, Robert du Preez, Jano Vermaak, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Oli Kebble.

It is the lack of quality depth that is a problem at the moment, as injuries will inevitably take its toll on the Stormers.

For the rest of the SA teams, 2016 finalists the Lions and the Sharks will have a much easier time of it next year as they will avoid the New Zealand teams this time around, while the Bulls were slightly more fortunate than the Stormers as they face the Blues, Chiefs and Sunwolves on their three-week trip overseas.

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2017 Stormers Super Rugby Draw

Saturday, February 25: Bulls (7.30pm kickoff, Newlands)

Saturday, March 4: Jaguares (5.15pm, Newlands)

Saturday, March 11: Southern Kings (7.30pm, Port Elizabeth)

Weekend of March 17/18: Bye

Saturday, March 25: Sunwolves (12.55pm, Singapore)

Saturday, April 1: Cheetahs (3.05pm, Newlands)

Saturday, April 8: Chiefs (5.15pm, Newlands)

Saturday, April 15: Lions (5.15pm, Newlands)

Saturday, April 22: Crusaders (9.35am, Christchurch)