Tonight the Rebels host the Stormers at the Stockade, which hasn’t seen any Rebels action since the visit from Reds almost a month ago. They had a week off after their return from South Africa, while the Stormers have been busy riding the Brumbies in Canberra.
The big news for the home team is the man named to wear the number 16 jersey, Adam ‘The Hoff’ Freier. Despite never yet donning the 5 Star jersey, he has been the most vocal and visible Rebel in the media, and if you have ever crossed paths with him you’ll know that he is an all-around nice guy. For example, Adam came down to the pub to watch the Chiefs game on Good Friday evening with the Rebel Army. Not only that, but he offered to buy me a drink. A hooker paying for my drinks? I thought it was Opposite Day! If anyone deserves to play the game they play in heaven, it’s The Hoff.
Freier been playing sporadically for the Rebel Rising, Melbourne Unicorns, and just last week for the Galloping Greens, while numerous niggling injuries were keeping him out of the Super season to day. Last week in Sydney he came on for the second half against Sydney Uni and had a belter, strengthening the Randwick scrum, throwing truly at lineouts, and looking like a No. 7 at the breakdown. He was everywhere, hard in it, and despite being on a losing team, looked arguably the best player in the second half. This leader and scrum general will at the very least give a confidence booster to the Rebels in their preparations for this match.
While the Rebels are back to almost full strength, the back row is the only area where they can claim parity with the Stormers. Welsh No. 8 Gareth Delve is back after a recent knee niggle stopped his run of playing every minute of every game. Lipman and Saffy return to their usual positions, and I expect them to give Schalk, Louw and Vermeulen a pretty hard time.
The Stormers didn’t look convincing in doing the Brumbies 16–3. They had numerous attacking opportunities that they never capitalised on, scoring just one try where three or four would have been par. But they are nearly guaranteed a spot in the finals, and are now playing for the bye and a home final or two.
They have come to Australia without form fly-half Peter Grant, whose ankle kept him home. Young Kurt Coleman took the helm last week, and will start at 10 in this game too. His backup is Earl Rose, who’s looking to make his debut in Stormers colours off the bench (he’s been playing sporadically for the Lions over the last five years). The rest of the backline is lightweight and fast and if they click better than they did against the Brumbies, they could tear the Rebels’ porous defence apart.
Last time the Rebels faced a Suith Efrikan team at the Stockade, it was the Sharks, who at that point were undefeated and hadn’t let a try in all season. The Rebels lost that one by a whisker; they crossed the Sharks’ line four times, going back to the dressing sheds with two bonus points and their heads held high. I wish I could be optimistic that they’ll match that success this time around. But without the sharpshooting and attacking genius of Danny Cipriani on the park, I think they’ll be lucky to take one BP away.
Stormers by 18 with a four-try BP.
Rebels: 1 Nic Henderson, 2 Ged Robinson, 3 Laurie Weeks, 4 Alister Campbell, 5 Hugh Pyle, 6 Jarrod Saffy, 7 Michael Lipman, 8 Gareth Delve (vc), 9 Nick Phipps, 10 Julian Huxley, 11 Cooper Vuna, 12 Stirling Mortlock (c), 13 Mark Gerrard, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 15 Richard Kingi. Reserves: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Greg Somerville, 18 Kevin O’Neill, 19 Tim Davidson, 20 Sam Cordingley, 21 Peter Betham, 22 Afusipa Taumoepeau.
Stormers: 15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Jaque Fourie, 12. Jean de Villiers, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger (c), 5. Anton van Zyl, 4. Rynhardt Elstadt, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Wicus Blaauw. Reserves: 16. Deon Fourie, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Andries Bekker, 19. Nick Koster, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Earl Rose, 22. Juan de Jongh.
