CAPE TOWN – Stormers flyhalf Kurt Coleman hasn’t always had a fair shake at the Stormers, but with Jean-Luc du Plessis injured, the forgotten pivot might have a chance to get his career back on track.
Coleman has always had a touch of finesse about him. He has a great spin pass, is an elusive runner and knows how to put his centres into space.
But there was always a nagging feeling that he did not enjoy the full support of former Stormers coach Allister Coetzee.
He was never given an extended run, and he did not help his own cause by missing easy penalties or missing touch when the pressure was on in big games.
Coleman, who suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in April last year, only had a few minutes to make a comeback this season against the Kings at the weekend when he replaced Robert du Preez in the last quarter in Port Elizabeth.
And he looked good. Not as good as he did up until his outgoing match against the Brumbies last season, but good enough to show that he could still play a part in the Stormers outfit.
And to be fair, he didn’t have a lot of time.
At the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Coleman nailed his two conversions, found good touch and also secured a turnover when he came on.
For the match against the Kings, Coleman was brought into the Stormers’ match day 23 after Du Plessis, who started in the Stormers’ victories over the Bulls and the Jaguares, was rested for the round three fixture because of a “minor” groin injury.
It turns out Du Plessis’ injury wasn’t that minor, as on Monday the flyhalf was ruled out for four to six weeks.
And the exciting general’s injury is a massive blow for Fleck’s team as his play-making abilities and his skill aren’t easily matched.
But injuries are as big a part of rugby as anything else, and just like Du Plessis “made a statement” last year when he was given a shot when Coleman joined Du Preez on the injury list, the 27-year-old Coleman can now use this opportunity to make up for lost time.
With Du Plessis out of the picture for the near future, coach Robbie Fleck has Du Preez, Coleman and youngster Damian Willemse who can fill Du Plessis’ boots.
Realistically, though, the competition will be between Du Preez and Coleman, as Fleck has made it clear that he wanted to ease Willemse into the rough waters of Super Rugby.
So rooting for the junior star to step in at flyhalf won’t pay off, regardless of how promising he is.
And that’s a good thing for Coleman, who now, at the very least, can make regular appearances for the Stormers in their next three games, albeit off the bench.
The Stormers travel to Singapore to take on the Sunwolves after their bye this week, and Coleman can definitely feature against the Japanese side, while his chances to make an appearance against the Cheetahs and the Chiefs at Newlands in the following weeks are good too.
And if Du Plessis’ recovery goes into six weeks, Coleman can also step up against the Lions at Newlands and the Crusaders in Christchurch.
These are big games, but exactly the kind of games Coleman needs to remind us all of his class – class that shouldn’t have been hidden behind a kicking metronome like Demitri Catrakilis.
And it will be in those games that his running, distribution and passing skills, left and right, can serve as a good reminder of his abilities.