Koster is on a roll
The Stormers pack has started the season with a bang and nobody is enjoying the ride more than No.8 Nick Koster who has made his longest streak of Super Rugby starts.
The South African conference champions have gelled well up front this year with powerful young players like Steven Kitshoff and Eben Etzebeth adding to the physicality that senior players like Duane Vermeulen offer.
Koster has relished the chance to get an extended run at the back of the scrum with Vermeulen playing blindside flank and he believes that their success this season is down to the way the senior players have been able to harness the enthusiasm of the younger stars.
He said: “It has been great to see the young guys coming through and they have really stepped up.
“The senior players are also doing a good job by allowing the youngsters to shine so it has been a really exciting start.”
Koster is neither a newcomer or senior player but he believes that he can still play an important role by helping out both groups.
He explained: “I don’t necessarily see myself as a senior player, I think we have got guys with huge experience in our team and I think it can get a bit dangerous when you have got too many guys calling the shots.
“I see myself as the bridge between the older guys and the younger guys,” added the 23-year-old.
Koster came into professional rugby with a big reputation and high expectations, after which he suffered an unfortunate series of injuries which sidelined him as some of the hype faded away, and he feels that he has an important role to play in mentoring young players on the big stage.
“I try to give a bit of advice and help out the young guys. I have had quite an interesting and difficult career with regards to injuries and at stages not really living up to what the media wrote about me at school so I feel like I can add a lot of value for them,” he said.
Koster has added a new dimension to his skilful running game by improving on his physicality, and after starting every game this season he believes things are only going to get better.
“You improve with every game, there is always something to work on and especially at this level there are so many small technical things that you learn every week so it is great experience.
“This has been the best week of training we have had this season so I am really excited about what is to come this weekend,” he said.
Koster said that the Stormers loose trio will have to work hard at the breakdown against the Lions this weekend, and expressed confidence that referee Glenn Jackson would understand how fiery things can get in local derbies.
He said: “It is going to be a huge challenge for us especially at the breakdown – Derrick Minnie is very good there. So we will have to be on top of our game, I think our loose trio is pretty well-balanced as well so it should be a great match-up.
“My experience of Glenn this weekend was that he did really well, it is nice to have a guy who has played at that level who understands how the game works and when the players sometimes get a bit fired up and say things they don’t mean in the heat of the moment,” he added.
The Stormers tight five have been on top all season and if they continue their dominant form at scrum-time Koster should be able to show what he can do with the opposition on the back foot.
This is the season for the Stormers No.8 to show whether he can step up and compete at the next level.
By Michael de Vries
