DHL Stormers injury report – 08/06/15

The DHL Stormers – the newly-crowned 2015 SA Conference champions – will face the Sharks at 19h05 on Saturday in both team’s final league matches of the season, with lock Ruan Botha and wing Kobus van Wyk back in the selection mix.

* Read about Vermeulen’s neck injury, here.

** CLICK HERE for news about the DHL Stormers’ 2015 play-off match at DHL Newlands on either June 20 or 27.

The full DHL Stormers injury report (08/06/15):

– Flanker Michael Rhodes will be exposed to a full week’s training, after coming off the bench for ten minutes at the weekend.
– Lock Ruan Botha (ankle/calf) and wing Kobus van Wyk (knee) are both looking good and will come back into the selection frame against the Sharks.
– Loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe missed training today with a cold, but he should be back at training on Tuesday.
– Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis – who left the field in the 16th minute against the Lions, after taking a blow to his head – did his concussion test and he will start training as of Tuesday.
– Centres Damian de Allende and Juan de Jongh will continue to have their workload managed this week, as they have all season.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH ALLISTER COETZEE:

On the prospect of perhaps being without regular captain Duane Vermeulen:

“We have grown as a group. We have overcome that mentality by trusting the squad and backing our squad system.

“A guy like Nizaam Carr has done really well. This DHL Stormers team is bigger than that at this point in time. We’ve got a good group of players and we back each and every player stepping up.”

On flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, who suffered mild concussion against the Lions:

“He’s done his test today (Monday) and we’ll wait for his results, but, already, he’s feeling much better, less symptoms. There’s no nausea, there’s no light-headedness. He’ll be training tomorrow already and then we’ll get further feedback from that.”

On facing the Sharks:

“We’ve reached a few of our goals already – in terms of our minimum wins and winning the SA Conference trophy, plus we’ve won all but one of our away games against South African opposition.

“The Sharks will be up for this one, against the team that has taken their Conference trophy away from them, so we’re expecting a fierce clash.”