Stormers sent SOS to Bok centre Juan de Jongh to offset injury crisis in New Zealand

The Stormers have not only been battered in terms of results on their New Zealand tour but their playing personnel has also been bruised after two record defeats.

Locks Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit have both been ruled out of next week’s clash against the Hurricanes with ‘niggles’‚ probably extinguishing whatever miniscule chance they had of beating the Hurricanes next weekend.

The Bok second row duo have been inspirational figures all season and on this tough tour by putting huge shifts in Christchurch and Dunedin.

The Highlanders hammered the Stormers 57-14 in Dunedin on Friday‚ which came after a 57-24 thrashing by the Crusaders a week earlier.

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After such a promising start to the campaign‚ the wheels are coming off after three losses in a row‚ which includes a home 29-16 defeat against the Lions that started the rot.

Coach Robbie Fleck has called for replacements from South Africa this week‚ but they could hardly be described as reinforcements.

Bok centre Juan de Jongh has answered the SOS and is on his way to New Zealand after a 12-week knee injury lay-off.

Flank/lock Rynhardt Elstadt has also been rushed back into action after recovering from an ankle that has kept him out for nearly six weeks.

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De Jongh will be rustier than a metal door on the Blouberg beachfront and Elstadt is also short of a gallop.

Prop Caylib Oosthuizen and exciting 18-year-old flyhalf Damien Willemse have also been added to the ailing squad after prop JC Janse van Rensburg and flyhalf Kurt Coleman were sent hobbling back home on the same flight as Etzebeth and Du Toit.

Janse van Rensburg has torn a bicep muscle and will be out for four to six weeks‚ whilst Coleman tore a deltoid ligament in his ankle in training and Etzebeth (calf) and Du Toit (knee) have also been ruled out due to injury niggles.

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There are also doubts about captain Siya Kolisi who is nursing a shoulder injury‚ whilst prop Frans Malherbe will not be available for selection this week due to the Springbok management plan.

Despite these setbacks Fleck said that the squad is determined to end their tour of New Zealand with an improved performance in Wellington.

"The injury list is growing‚ but luckily we welcome some quality players back this week and we are focused on the challenge ahead‚” Fleck said.

"We know that we can improve in a number of areas‚ so the goal this week is to raise our game against the Hurricanes.”

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Fleck will be tempted to thrust Willemse straight into action this Friday because the team’s attack has crumbled in recent weeks.

Flyhalf Rob du Preez has been steady but he has been unable to spark the same attacking flair that characterised the opening six weeks of the campaign.

But more challenging for the coaching staff will be shoring up their leaky defence that has leaked 17 tries in two matches on tour.

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The breakdown battle has also been comfortably lost as the Stormers still search for a balance to their back row play.

Elstadt covered openside during the opening weeks of the campaign but he is at best a makeshift option.

It’s an area of the game the Stormers are going to have to find a way to gain parity at the very least‚ or suffer more humiliation on tour.

 - TMG Digital/TMG Sport