Stormers sweat over star player ahead of bumper December schedule
SPOTLIGHT: The Stormers are hoping that star No.8 Evan Roos will not be on the sidelines for a lengthy period.
The Springbok suffered a rib injury in Saturday’s 27-13 win over England and he will go for scans once he returns to Cape Town.
He is one of several Bok players returning to the Stormers squad after the November Tests. The others are Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Deon Fourie, Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse and Marvin Orie.
However, a few of them will not go straight into action once they return.
“With regards to the Springboks, we work on a case-by-case basis,” said Stormers assistant coach Rito Hlungwani.
“We tried to create a plan on when each individual will come in.
“Certain guys have played a lot and we will give those guys a rest, but there are a few guys that have not played as much. Those guys will probably filter in as soon as they come into the country.”
On Roos, Hlungwani added: “Our doctor informed us about Evan Roos. He is going to go for scans as soon as he lands then we will be able to have the diagnosis and give feedback.
“We are not sure if it is broken or not so we will hear from our specialists as soon as he lands then we will be able to give the correct information.”
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A change of venue
Meanwhile, the Stormers’ Round Nine clash against the Dragons will take place at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Gqeberha.
This is due to the preparations taking place at Cape Town Stadium for the upcoming Cape Town Sevens.
Hlungwani said the change of venue will not be a major disruption.
“It’s not any different from going up to Pretoria. You will leave on a Friday and play on a Saturday,” the coach explained.
“It’s also the same as going to Durban or Johannesburg, so it’s not much of a big change.
“We actually played earlier in the year in PE. It’s not a concern for us.
“Going overseas we played for the first time in Cardiff and played for the first time at Zebre, so it will be a little bit more familiar for us than playing for the first time in one of these European stadiums.”
The match against the Dragons will kick off a bumper December schedule for the Capetonians.
After that Round Nine URC fixture, the Stormers will enter the Champions Cup for the first time with a clash against Clermont in France.
They will then welcome Premiership side London Irish to Cape Town before two home matches against Bulls and Lions in the URC.
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