More injury trouble for Vodacom Stormers

Barely two days after the news of a premature end to flank Schalk Burger’s Super 14 season due to a knee injury the Cape side has suffered another setback.

On Monday in-form hooker Tiaan Liebenberg has been ruled out for the rest of the Super 14 tournament, also due to a knee injury.

The good news, however, was that flyhalf Tony Brown’s rib injury was not serious. He was back on the training field in Durbanville on Monday and will be considered for Saturday’s game against the Brumbies at Newlands.

“Tony is okay and he trained today,” coach Rassie Erasmus said after the training session. “But Tiaan suffered a knee ligament injury on Saturday and he will be out for a considerable period of time.”

When asked whether the hooker – who was the Man of the Match in the victory over the Highlanders at Newlands the past Saturday – would see Super 14 action again this season, Erasmus answered in the negative.

Liebenberg was a revelation for the Stormers at the start of the season, forcing Erasmus to keep the exciting Schalk Brits on the substitutes’ bench. The former Griquas hooker, however, had to return home early from the overseas leg of the Stormers’ campaign.

Brits took his starting chances with glee with some startling performances, making it difficult for Liebenberg to get a look in again. The coach opted to start with Liebenberg on Saturday and he again showed just how valuable he was to the Stormers cause.

The two hookers incidentally scored the team’s two tries.

The promising Vodacom WP reserve hooker Deon Fourie trained with the Stormers on Monday.

“He’s been in the system the whole time. He’s been with us at our pre-season training camp in the Wilderness and he knows all the calls and all the plays.

“There are no problems there,” explained Erasmus why he preferred the youngster to the more experienced Hanyani Shimange.