There was talk at the end of last year’s Super Rugby tournament about a possible front row crisis at the Stormers following the departure of a few regulars.
Tighthead props Pat Cilliers and Brok Harris chose to explore greener pastures overseas, while stalwart hooker Tiaan Liebenberg retired from the game because of a neck injury. But fast-forward to the start of the current campaign, and the Stormers’ successful outing in their first match of the 2015 edition against the Bulls last Saturday, and it seems like the front cupboard is actually overflowing.
The Cape side put on one of their best scrumming exhibitions in years when they overpowered a Bulls pack that featured two Springboks in the front row. And that was with rookie No3 Vincent Koch and loosehead Steven Kitshoff, who missed a large part of last season because of injury.
The Cape side also had Oliver Kebble and Wilco Louw coming off the bench and making an impact, while former Bulls hooker Bongi Mbonambi also impressed when he replaced Scarra Ntubeni in the second half. This week the Stormers welcome back Springbok Frans Malhebre, while one of the heroes of last year’s successful Currie Cup campaign, loosehead prop Alistair Vermaak, is also waiting in the wings.
So the Stormers will have plenty of depth for what is expected to be a gruelling season, as the fight for World Cup spots intensifies.
Forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot says the team’s big scrum performance against the Bulls is the culmination of the hard work the players and the staff have put in over the last few years.
“Like everything it’s a work in progress,” said Proudfoot, who will take up a new tight-five development role within the Western Province structures after Super Rugby. “Steven started at the age of 19, and some of the other boys were in their early 20s. The pack is now developing into a senior pack. They still have a lot of development left in them, but we are getting to that point where they are becoming seasoned pros. We are really feeling confident in their ability at this level. They are taking ownership at scrum time, and when that starts happening players can make good decisions on the field, and that’s when you start developing a good product.”
While Koch got most of the plaudits for his demolition of Bok loosehead Trevor Nyakane, the return of a trimmer and mean-looking Kitshoff was important.
‘Rooi Gevaar’ looked a little jaded last season, and his injuries didn’t help his cause. But after a busy off-season in the gym, and on the aerobics mat, he looks like his destructive self again.
“I’m pleased about Kitsie’s development in the off-season. He is very fit. He is starting to mature into his body now and is is time for him to take the next step,” Proudfoot said.
“I’m going to be hard on him this year, because he can still become a great player.”
Kitshoff said yesterday that the butterflies didn’t really fly in formation when he took the field against the old enemy at Loftus, but he is really chuffed about the way he came through the match.
But this week he faces another challenge against, presumably, Blues and All Black tighthead Charlie Faumuina, who came on as a substitute to steady the Auckland side’s scrum against the Chiefs last weekend. - The Star