ZELIM NEL
The Cheetahs have no doubt that Johan Goosen is the flyhalf to kick, tackle and pass them into the future, and the Stormers are hoping that tomorrow’s Super 15 warm-up match at Newlands provides them with similar clarity.
“Competition is always healthy,” coach Allister Coetzee said of the race between Gary van Aswegen, Demetri Catrakilis, Kurt Coleman and Burton Francis for the Stormers No 10 jersey.
“I’d like to see that there’s no complacency (from our flyhalves) because there is no pecking order.
“They all have an opportunity to vie to get to that 30-man squad and I’d like to see them play well and challenge each other.”
Coetzee will cut his 50-man training group to 34 players on Sunday.
“It’s between Kurt, Demetri, Burton and Gary to see who can control the Stormers side in the way that we want to play.”
Sias Ebersohn started 10 matches for the Cheetahs during the inaugural Super 15 competition and proved to be a resilient playmaker in tandem with livewire halfback Sarel Pretorius.
But in six Currie Cup starts, Goosen displayed the temperament – not to mention goal-kicking ability – required of a Test-calibre flyhalf.
Last year, Ebersohn and Goosen combined to give the Cheetahs their first clean sweep of Western Province since 1996, and coach Naka Drotske believes that the 19-year-old is on the cusp of a breakout season.
By contrast, Coetzee is hoping to avoid another breakdown after a rash of injuries sidelined no less than six pivots in 2011, with scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage eventually pressed into service at first receiver.
Van Aswegen is the most promising candidate in the Stormers stable, combining a long-range kicking game with an appetite for defence, but two successive knee injuries have raised questions about his durability.
Catrakilis was drafted into the Province setup from the Varsity Cup ranks as an emergency option after Van Aswegen’s knee gave way during his Currie Cup debut.
The UCT flyhalf made the most of the chance to rescue WP from a potential implosion and emerged as a savvy tactician, providing the team with a pinpoint kicking attack.
Coleman made his Super 15 debut in June, kicking six penalties, three conversions and scoring a try in wins against the Brumbies and Rebels, and a loss against the Bulls, but a nagging ankle injury kept him out of the Currie Cup.
Born in Paarl, Francis spent four seasons with the Bulls before moving to Johannesburg.
His Lions contract was not renewed at the end of last season, but he did enough in pre-season training to impress the Stormers coach.
Catrakilis and Coleman will be hoping to follow suit tomorrow, and how well they fare against Goosen and Ebersohn may well sway Coetzee.
It is crucial that one of the four young guns convince their coach that they’re made of the right stuff, because failure to do so will see Coetzee turn to Peter Grant when he returns from club duty in Japan.
Grant’s future is at centre and, like the Cheetahs, the Stormers must hitch their trailer to a Test-calibre flyhalf.
Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/search-for-a-perfect-10-1.1226926
