Wallaby test for Stormers No 10

Jean Luc du Plessis of the Stormers during the Stormers morning training session at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on 28 April 2016 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Jean Luc du Plessis of the Stormers during the Stormers morning training session at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on 28 April 2016 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Published Apr 29, 2016

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It has been a fairytale start to his Super Rugby career for Jean-Luc du Plessis, but the Stormers pivot will face another major test when he comes up against Waratahs No 10 Bernard Foley at Newlands on Saturday.

Du Plessis hit the headlines against the Sunwolves a few weeks ago when he scored in the same left-hand corner where his dad Carel dotted down for the last time for Western Province, something that the 21-year-old called a “fantasy”.

The left-footed Jean-Luc followed it up with another strong display against Elton Jantjies and the Lions at Ellis Park, although he ended up on the losing side, and took another step forward with an authoritative performance in last week’s 40-22 win over the Reds.

But on Saturday at Newlands (7.15pm kickoff), Du Plessis will have his hands full in containing Wallaby playmakers Foley and Kurtley Beale, who operates as a second flyhalf to Foley.

With coach Daryl Gibson’s Tahs outfit finally hitting their straps in a 49-13 thrashing of the Western Force, it looks like they have found their form at just the right time.

Stormers boss Robbie Fleck has backed many of the WP Under-21 stars that came through under his watch last year in Super Rugby in 2016, and Du Plessis is one of those.

But the coach is somewhat relieved that Du Plessis will have the first-choice centre pairing of Damian de Allende and captain Juan de Jongh in tow. “It is a (real test for Du Plessis). It makes a huge difference that he will have experienced players around him. He is playing against a very good player – one of the best players at the World Cup, in my opinion – and all these guys are starting to find form,” Fleck said.

“It’s certainly nice to have Juan and Damian back in the mix together – it just solidifies that midfield a little bit and brings some leadership into the mix. Juan has been on his own for sometime in terms of having leaders around him, being a leader himself, so it’s nice to have two experienced players in midfield for the first time this season.”

The Waratahs also recently shifted Israel Folau from fullback to outside centre, so the fact that he is closer to the action will make him even more of a threat to the Stormers defence.

But the Cape side have their own strike-runners in De Allende, De Jongh, Cheslin Kolbe and wings Leolin Zas and Kobus van Wyk, and Du Plessis will hope that his forwards can keep him on the front foot.

“They pretty much have freedom to play any position they want – they move Kurtley Beale around, they move Folau around, they move Foley around. So it’s quite an interesting combination and they’ve been that for the last two or three seasons,” Fleck said.

“It’s difficult to defend against a team like that, to be honest – the way they do move around – and with Beale looking to counter-attack from behind, it is an interesting way that they play, and it has worked for them in the past, having been champions (in 2014).”

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@IndyCapeSport – Independent Media

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