‘Stormers will not hide anything’
IN THE NEWS: The SuperHero fixture between the Stormers and the Bulls will be an ideal opportunity for JD Schickerling to show his worth.
In the midst of the franchise’s off-field drama, 23-year-old Schickerling will have the chance to prove himself against a Springboks laden Bulls squad.
The Stormers will most likely use Pieter-Steph du Toit as part of the loose trio combinations, giving Schickerling a spot in the starting XV.
To add further pressure, the young second-row will be up against Springbok lock and Bulls captain Lood De Jager on Sunday, which Schickerling admits is a huge challenge.
“Lood [De Jager] is very good in the line-outs,” Schickerling told reporters, adding: “Lood such a good person and going up against him is always competitive,”
“I think as a team, we [Stormers] will not hide anything.
“We have been working hard during pre-season and have a plan for the Super Rugby campaign which we will obviously try to implement against the Bulls on Sunday,” he added.
https://soundcloud.com/user-645352503/stormers-coach-robbie-fleck-chats-about-pre-season
Last year, Schickerling’s Super Rugby season was cut short after sustaining a torn bicep against the Crusaders in Round three.
The injury left him out for nearly four months and halted his chances of making the Springboks’ June test squad.
However, once fully fit plus a ruthless Currie Cup performance, the 23-year-old caught the eye of Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus and was named in the 36-man end-of-year tour squad.
Schickerling has yet to gain a Test cap, but the lock revealed that the experience with the Springboks was a privilege.
“Not getting game time with the Boks was a little frustrating,” Schickerling said.
“I mean any rugby player wants to play, however, it was the best experience I’ve had.
“Just being in the Springboks squad was a huge privilege, I’ve learned so much touring with the squad in terms of international level,”
“I’m working incredibly hard to get a good season under the belt.
“I think everyone wants to be in the World Cup squad, but at the moment my focus is on the Super Rugby.
“We [Stormers] are building an extremely strong squad, so we just have to keep pushing,”
The Stormers open their Super Rugby campaign against the Bulls on February 16.
https://soundcloud.com/user-645352503/bulls-coach-pote-human-after-warm-up-against-lions
By Leezil Hendricks
@Leezil07
@rugby365com
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