SARrugby.com

I seem to remember Moz calling for this. Similar move to the JP one. Habana was a center in his early days. Important for Stormers if this works out.

Ex Keo

Bryan Habana will start at outside centre this Saturday and cover the position in the coming Super Rugby tournament.

The Stormers’ best No 13 option, Juan de Jongh, has still not fully recovered from a jaw injury sustained in the pre-season match against the Lions. Coach Allister Coetzee has decided to trial Habana in the position this week against the Kings, believing that the Bok winger is good enough to handle the responsibility.

It was at outside centre where Habana first attracted attention. He played there for the Lions before he moved to the Bulls and shifted to the wing.

In 2006, then-Bok coach Jake White tried to move Habana back to No 13 for a Test against Ireland in Dublin. The move proved disastrous as Jean de Villiers and Habana failed to gel as a combination, and as an individual Habana was guilty of several errors.

However, Coetzee, who was the Bok backline coach during White’s tenure, said Habana had grown as a defensive player. He also denied that the 2007 IRB Player of the Year has lost pace, and that this is the primary reason for considering Habana as a centre option.

‘No 13 is a very important position for us, and Bryan has a great appreciation for what’s required from a defensive point of view,’ said Coetzee. ‘He will cover that position for us [in Super Rugby]. It’s not that he’s slow [and therefore has to move away from the wing]. He’s the fastest player in our squad.

‘Jaque Fourie set some very high standards in that position [when he was with the Stormers in 2010 and 2011]. He’s very good in terms of organisational ability and his communication, and I believe Bryan also has these strengths. (Please note Dr Moz!)

‘We are not expecting miracles from Bryan in the first game, but it is something we are looking at in the long-term. Jean and Juan are still my first-choice centre combination for the year, but it will help having a player of Bryan’s quality in reserve.’

Coetzee confirmed that the squad selected to play against the Kings is his best available, and that a similar starting XV will front the Hurricanes on 25 February.

Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen will make their respective returns to rugby this week after not featuring since the 2011 Super Rugby competition. Coetzee said that he hopes both players will get through 30 minutes.

Dewaldt Duvenage has not been included in the squad because his injury rehabilitation is incomplete. This would suggest that Louis Schreuder will partner Gary van Aswegen in the halfbacks for that first game against the Hurricanes.

In the absence of regular skipper Schalk Burger, who has been rested for this match, De Villiers will lead the side against the Kings.

Meanwhile, Coetzee is yet to confirm his squad of 30 for the Super Rugby competition. However, keo.co.za has it on good authority that the 26 named below will be included, as will Burger, De Jongh, Duvenage and Wicus Blaauw. Peter Grant will only join the side after the competition has kicked off due to club commitments in Japan.

Stormers – 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Bryan Habana, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
16 Deon Fourie, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 19 Frans Malherbe, 20 Eben Etzebeth, 21 De Kock Steenkamp, 22 Nizaam Carr, 23 Nic Groom, 24 Burton Francis, 25 Marcel Brache, 26 Danie Poolman.

Time to give the queens a severe snotklap!

I hope it works out for the Stormers. Didn't Habana start his rugby at centre for the Lions ?

I do recall him being used in that position for the Boks against Ireland in the 2006 end of year tour. A lot of people would say that was a total flop, but to be honest the entire team played poorly so you cant really place much importance on that match.

The Boks went down 32-15, but Habana actually scored a try in that game.

We also had what could definitely be considered a second rate side for that match. Obviously Jake was conserving resources for the 2007 World Cup. We had Francois Steyn playing on the wing, Bevin Fortuin at fullback and Albert vd. Berg and Johan Ackerman as our lock combination. No wonder we got hammered.

It will be interesting to see how JP goes at 13 in a real match scenario. I know its only Boland, but I am holding thumbs for him. Goodness knows, the Sharks need a decent centre or two.

Ooo jinne, if they start with this kind of kakkas at this stage of the season already, I am getting a bit worried my broe. looks to me like they are also not even sure who is going to be our flyhalf as well, ek se. I hope that Allister gets it right, now that Rassie is gone. I would not like to hear the whiteys say: "You see mos. I have told you that it was all Rassie, and now that he is gone Allister can't make it". I think it is a good think that allister did not get the Bokke job, because he still has a lot to proof at the Stormers. He is going to show the world that he is the real coach and Rassie was only in the back room and he was just fighting himself stukkend with the adminsitrators. That's why they did not even fight to keep him. They just let them go. Just like that. Yo know why? They mos know that they have Allister, who is a real coach.

Kaapse, Allistair does indeed have a lot to prove as a coach and the next few years will tell the story.

Rassie was lost to WP because we have a bunch of admin guys who are clueless about rugby but interferred. Apparently we lost Mallet for the same reasons.

Rassie is a big loss but its great that, from all accounts, Meyer is also a Rassie fan and will bring him into his team.

Jinne ou Beeno, my bra, ma jy het die kat leka anie gat biet, ek se. Wanne did the Stormers loose Mallett nogal? Wa kom jy in that Meyer is a Rassie fan. If you decide to appoint me in some position in your company, does that mean that you are sommer now suddenly a fan of me as well ha. Stront man. You are appointing me to do a certain job for you, and you pay me for that. Watse fan geite is dit hierie.

When I look at these selections I want to laugh. there is a tendency to move wings to 13, 13s to 12, 15s to 10 and 12s to 15. All of these selections fail. I cannot think of one to succeed. Our coaches do not understand the talent they have or how to use them.

Sharky, Habana scored a try after moving back to wing in the second half.

Ah - ok, I couldn't remember that. Its a bit of a rough call on Habana if you ask me. His form is clearly off as it has been for the last 2 to 3 years actually, and to now move him into another position will put additional pressure on him. If he ever was to excel at centre, now is not the time to test drive it....

But, we haven't seen him play yet this season. Perhaps his demons are behind him. I hope so, for SA rugby sake. At the moment though, I wouldn't rate Habana as one of the top two wings in the country. Matter of opinion maybe, but I am afraid the Sharks have both of those.

It is a very rough call playing him at 13. Who knows, maybe he does the Stormers a favour and does well to conceal their depth problem. That said, with Jean outside of him, you won't see any of Habana's skills anyway. Habana has been our best wing for all of the past four years. He simply gets little ball. His last real structured try in a big test was in 2009 against the Lions. That was subsequently the last time Habana received the ball from structured play like that. Therein lies the problem. Every, and I do mean every, other wing that has come into the side has failed because of the same issues. Time and again the media bleat that Habana is out of form but the reality is that the only functional backline he has been a part of since 2008 was the 2009 Bulls backline! No surprise that he was 'in good form' that year, until the Boks. Basson, Mvovo, Odwa, Adi, Olivier, Jean, Aplon, Chavangha, Nokwe have all failed. Hougaard in bursts has offered some attacking prowes. Mostly in that he attacks off the shoulder of Du Preez very well, which catches opponents off guard in that blind spot. Something that would be picked up very quickly.

Whatever it is, its in the best interests of SA rugby that Habana's form returns or that we resolve the issues that are making his life difficult. When things are ticking over for him - there isn't a wing in the world that can touch Habana.