Vodacom Stormers Touring Squad Announced
The squad leaves for Australasia on Thursday and will face the Crusaders in the opening match of their five match overseas leg, on Saturday 28 March. The tour also sees them take on the Waratahs (4 April), the Brumbies (11 April), the Hurricanes (18 April), the Highlanders (24 April).
Hooker Tiaan Liebenberg has arrived in Cape Town and will be departing with the rest of the squad on Thursday. “Tiaan arrived today and he has a visa, so he will be travelling with the squad,” said media spokesperson Frikkie Erasmus.
Erasmus was not concerned that Liebenberg would be out of sorts if the coach has to call on him in case of injury to Schalk Brits. “He played for us last year and he is coming directly from France where he played, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Coach Rassie Erasmus opted to go with three locks after the injury to Andries Bekker that forced him out of the tour. Adriaan Fondse, AJ Venter and Hilton Lobberts are the locks in the squad.
Speaking about the goals for the tour, Frikkie Erasmus said the goals were simple: “Just to do our best in any game under any circumstances. We’ll take every game as it comes and will try to make the best of it.”
Erasmus said the glut of injuries that hit the team over the weekend – Nick Koster, Tonderai Chavhanga and Deon Fourie all were ruled out after the Lions game – has not affect the team spirit.
“It didn’t affect the team spirit at all. It is a professional game and injuries are part of it. The guys who come in are good players and the injuries didn’t have any effect.”
Players:
Adriaan Fondse
AJ Venter
Brian Mujati
Conrad Jantjes
Dewaldt Duvenage
Duane Vermeulen
Dylan des Fountain
Francois Louw
Gcobani Bobo
Hilton Lobberts
JD Moller
Jean de Villiers
Luke Watson
Morgan Newman
Percy Montgomery
Peter Grant
Ricky Januarie
Schalk Brits
Schalk Burger
Schalk Ferreira
Sireli Naqelevuki
Tiaan Liebenberg
Wicus Blaauw
Willem De Waal
Management:
Rassie Erasmus
Allister Coetzee
Gary Gold
Chippie Solomon
Frikkie Erasmus
Dr Ryan Kohler
Jacques Nienaber
Southy Steenkamp
Greg Hechter
Greg Daniels
Johan Van Wyk