Brink to start for Stormers
February 21, 2001

Veteran Rob Brink has been included in the Stormers side as blindside flank in place of the injured Hendrik Gerber for Saturday's opening Super 12 game against the Cats at Newlands, edging out Chean Roux and Adri Badenhorst in the process.

The World Cup veteran will form a new-look loose trio with captain Corne Krige and No 8 Bob Skinstad, who makes his return to Super 12 action after that fateful day in April 1999 when he hurt his knee in a car accident the night of the game against the Canterbury Crusaders.

Gerber's fate was still unknown at the time of the team announcement, but Solomons has included him in the 28-man squad for the tour of Australia and New Zealand, that starts on Sunday.

"Hendrik has remained part of both our squad and the touring party. We're just awaiting details of the MIR scan that was done this morning. Certainly on the medical advice he cannot play this weekend and he's not included in the squad," Solomons said.

"Rob Brink has been selected at blindside flank and Adri Badenhorst and John Slade will cover the positions of flank and lock respectively," he added. "Rob's experience is very important. He has a lot of experience and is a big, physical player."

The coach said Pietie Ferreira, Adri Badenhorst and Chean Roux were considered as well, but Brink's experience gave him the nod. "Chean really has more experience at No 8, although he has some experience of blindside flank.

"Pietie is more, in the way that South African sides play with seven and six, a number seven, not that he couldn't measure up as a blindside or openside flanker. He can play both, but he doesn't have the experience of blindside flanker which Rob Brink does," the coach said.

Badenhorst was the find of the Currie Cup season last year and Brink had to duty on the bench for Western Province, with the former, Krige and Gerber the loose trio. Solomons said hewouldn't consider Badenhorst solely as No 8. "He can play anywhere. He can fit in anywhere in the back five."

He added: "Rob Brink understands the particular requirements of that position and he is tremendously experienced. I think after careful consideration we felt that that is the appropriate replacement."

Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka was included in the Stormers squad for the overseas leg of their campaign. Cats coach Laurie Mains didn't need the services of the versatile prop and subsequently Sarfu requested Solomons to find a place for him in the Cape-based squad.

"I was approached by Sarfu with the view to the Stormers assisting in the national interest and ensuring that Lawrence was in a Super 12 squad," Solomons said. "In the national interest we have exceeded to that request. Lawrence would also be joining us on tour so that we will take 28 as opposed to the initial 27."

Stormers: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Pieter Rossouw; Braam van Straaten, Dan van Zyl; Bob Skinstad, Corne Krige (capt), Rob Brink, Quinton Davids, Hottie Louw, Faan Rautenbach, Charl Marais, Robbie Kempson. Substitutes: Pieter Dixon, Morne van der Merwe, John Slade, Adri Badenhorst, Neil de Kock, Chris Rossouw, Robert Markram.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.