Stormers coach Robbie Fleck’s men are dropping like flies on their current tour of Australasia.
With captain Siya Kolisi, Currie Cup captain Chris van Zyl and the experienced SP Marais having flown back to the Mother City from Australia on Sunday, the Cape squad is really thin on experience heading into Friday’s Super Rugby clash against the Rebels in Melbourne.
Already without the likes of locks Eben Etzebeth, JD Schickerling, the versatile Pieter-Steph du Toit and Dan du Plessis, the Stormers have waved goodbye to no fewer than seven players on their winless tour of Australia.
Of the ones left behind, they now need a leader as the Stormers seek their first win on tour in their final match.
EXPERIENCE: Frans Malherbe a former co-captain. Photo: Gerhard Steenkamp/Backpagepix.
With Kolisi being rested and Van Zyl out with a back injury, the next-in-line to lead from the front would have been Eben Etzebeth- maar die is hoeka by die huis.
Assistant coach Paul Feeney, though, is not too worried and says: “We’ve got some experience [left in the camp].
“If you look at the forwards pack, we’ve got Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe.
“The locks and the loosies lack a bit of experience, but then we’ve got Damian de Allende, Jean-Luc du Plessis and Dillyn Leyds, who has captained the Currie Cup side before.”
DONE IT BEFORE: Dillyn Leyds was Currie Cup captain. Photo: Gavin Barker/Backpagepix.
With Leyds playing out wide and not exactly being close to the action, the Stormers might look to a player like Malherbe, who was the squad’s co-captain alongside Juan de Jongh back in 2016.
Despite missing a leader and bottom of the SA Super Rugby conference, Feeney says the team hasn’t lost any confidence.
He explains: “I don’t believe we’ve lost confidence or belief.
“Sometimes a team just needs a little bit of luck and there’s is no reason why we can’t beat the Rebels on Friday.”