Frans set for Coenie and the Beast

It’s not often that prop forwards headline a Super Rugby match. But tomorrow’s scrum battle between the Stormers and the Sharks at Newlands could be one for the ages.

Stormers coach Robbie Fleck is going to unleash his big guns, Frans Malherbe and JC Janse van Rensburg, from the start to counter Sharks captain Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and his Springbok teammate Coenie Oosthuizen.

Stormers co-captain Malherbe and Janse van Rensburg, who both had injuries in the off-season, have made telling cameos off the bench against the Bulls and the Cheetahs so far this season.

“It’s going to be a massive battle in the scrums. I feel the key to success is going to be to stay patient,” Malherbe said yesterday. “It’s going to be a big part of the game, and it’s going to be close, because they have a good pack. But we need to build a platform for our backs to strike.”

The battle between Malherbe and Mtawarira is set to be a blockbuster contest that should be pretty even. However, there could be a case for Janse van Rensburg to target Oosthuizen, who only recently moved from loosehead prop to tighthead.

Oosthuizen is great with ball in hand, but there has always been a question mark over his scrumming. Malherbe, who is competing with Oosthuizen for the Bok No 3 jersey, believes the former Cheetahs star is an under-rated tighthead.

“Coenie has adapted well to tighthead. I think he is very good player and a good tighthead. It doesn’t matter on which side of the scrum he packs down, he is a powerful customer,” Malherbe said.

“I rate Coenie as a player, and I think their scrum will be really good this weekend. It’s going to be two Springbok front rows going at it, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

As far as his own battle with the Beast is concerned, Malherbe says he will have to be at his best to tame the Sharks skipper, who seems to be revelling in his new role.

Malherbe is also relishing a chance to lay a platform for Vincent Koch and Oli Kebble, who have done well so far but could actually offer more around the park as impact players in the second half.

“Beast is a very good scrumming prop and he has a lot of experience. I have scrummed a few times against him. He is an intimidating guy,” Malherbe said. “Hopefully we can lay the platform for the guys coming off the bench, like they have done for us over the last couple of weeks.

“There’s a massive difference between starting and coming off the bench. To start is nice, because you know you are going to be on the field from 5.15. When you are on the bench, you don’t know when you will take the field and you have to be ready. You know you may only play an hour after kickoff, but you have to be ready is there is an injury.”

Malherbe and Janse van Rensburg are two of four team changes for the Stormers, along with a positional switch.

Siya Kolisi will make his first start of the season, in the No 7 jersey. He is also part of a reshuffle in the loose trio, with Nizaam Carr moving to No 6 and Schalk Burger to No 8.

Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who has played well over the last two weeks, drops to the bench.

The thinking behind deploying Kolisi may be to counter the physicality of the Sharks, while also giving the Stormers someone who can take the ball up hard in the middle of the park. The other change is Kurt Coleman coming in at flyhalf for the injured Robert du Preez.

“Siya has worked incredibly hard to get back to fitness. He is still getting there, but it’s the best time for him to get back into the mix,” Fleck said.

“He has done well coming off the bench, and obviously there is a nice balance to that loose trio now as well. I’m not saying that there wasn’t one before, but he brings a bit of physicality obviously, and he is an extra ball-carrying option.”

Fleck also decided to stick with Leolin Zas on the left wing ahead of the fit-again Kobus van Wyk, who doesn’t even make the 23-man squad.

TEAMS FOR NEWLANDS

Stormers:15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg. Bench:16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Huw Jones.

Sharks:15 Willie Le Roux, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Joe Pietersen, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Franco Marais, Tendai Mtawarira (captain). Bench:16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Philip van der Walt, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Garth April, 23 S’bura Sithole.

Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand). Kickoff:5.15pm, SS1 SS HD1 - Cape Times