Stormers take a breather
After an intense three weeks of pre-season training, the Stormers will take a break before picking things up in January.
A big squad of players – including eight of the 2014 WP Rugby Institute intake – have been put through their paces in recent weeks under the watchful eyes of the senior coaching staff and head of strength and conditioning Stephan du Toit.
Now, the players will take a break – officially termed a “maintenance phase of conditioning” – before reconvening on Tuesday, January 7.
The likes of Jean de Villiers, Duane Vermeulen and Cheslin Kolbe will all rejoin training on January 7, with an official training squad to be named later that week ahead of the team’s pre-season camp in Hermanus from Monday, January 13 until Saturday, January 18.
“It’s the fourth year in a row that we will be heading to Hermanus,” said Stormers coach Allister Coetzee.
“It’s become a big part of our pre-season preparations and we look forward to having our Springboks back, the likes of Duane Vermeulen and Jean de Villiers (to name just two), after their extended period of active rest.
“The past three weeks have been great for us (coaches), as it’s given us an opportunity to look at every single contracted player in the union,” added Coetzee.
“The eight (young) Institute players have also been part of our training, which has been valuable for everyone – given that they’ve just finished school and we’ve been able to look at them closely and also broaden their conditioning base at the same time. It’s been great to expose those young players to the culture of excellence within the Stormers group and also to show them what it takes to push for senior selection with WP Rugby.
“Other players like Scarra Ntubeni, Frans Malherbe, Siya Kolisi, Louis Schreuder and Gio Aplon – some of whom did not play or play a lot on the Springbok tour – have been back at training for two weeks and it’s also been good to see them again, in particular Frans, who picked up an injury on the Bok tour.”
Looking back at the past three weeks, Coetzee explained further: “Pre-season training is a tough part of the season, so we have mixed things up a bit – taking the players away from the HPC at least once a week and giving them activities at the beach, on a wine farm; it’s all about making it more enjoyable.
“The players that have been here training deserve this break over the festive season, but they will have to do a bit of work too and maintain their fitness during this period of active rest (as we also like to call it).”
The Stormers will play their first pre-season match – against the Bulls in Polokwane – on Saturday, February 1, followed by clashes against the Kings and Boland on successive weekends. Their 2014 Super Rugby season kicks-off against the Lions – in Johannesburg – on Saturday, February 22.
