Stormers won't go with the Flouw
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has denied rumours circulating in the media that Peter Grant and Francois Louw have signed contracts with the Cape side for next season and insists his team is focused on rugby.
Grant was reported to have signed a one-year contract extension whilst Louw was tipped to return to Cape Town from Bath in the near future, but both claims were squashed by Coetzee who explained in a statement on the Stormers website that he would release player movement and contracting information when it was finalised and available.
The Stormers coach said that he is determined not to let the speculation over players’ contracts and a dispute over match fees and bonuses distract the team from the match against the Cheetahs at Newlands this weekend.
“These next four games are crucial to our campaign and it’s all about the rugby for us. The Cheetahs are a good side and we will need to be top of our game,” he said.
Coetzee said that after enjoying their bye last week his players are now focused solely on the challenge that the free-running Cheetahs will present on Saturday.
“They play with great width, have an excellent set-piece and have a good kicking game. It’s going to be tough. We are all back at the High Performance Centre after a short break and training and preparation is progressing well,” he added.
The week off gave Coetzee’s weary troops the chance to rest, and the break has presented the Stormers boss with far more options than he had going into their last match on tour against the Force, with Andries Bekker, Gio Aplon, Eben Etzebeth and Jean de Villiers all available for selection this weekend.
