DHL Stormers defence coach Norman Laker poured scorn on any suggestion that the Vodacom Bulls might be weakened by the absence of Kurt-Lee Arendse by singing Sergeal Petersen’s praises ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby in Cape Town.
Arendse, who has become a key member of the Springbok back three, has troubled the Stormers in the past from his position on the wing, so it was a fair question: Would the Bulls miss him? Of course, any team would miss a player of that quality, but neither Laker nor Stormers wing Leolin Zas feel that the Bulls are less of an attacking threat in his absence.
“If you think of what Sergeal did in that (URC) semifinal against Leinster by pulling the ball out of the air, to score the try to get them into the final, then I think you’d say he’s no different (as a threat) than Kurt-Lee. Sergeal is playing phenomenal rugby at the moment,” said Laker.
Of course, Petersen was a Stormers player for a while, and was part of the team that beat the Bulls in the 2021-22 final to win the inaugural URC title. He played in that game because of a Stormers injury - and it was to none other than Zas, who in this game will be wary of Petersen’s abilities as an opponent.
“Kurt-Lee is a Springbok and an in-form winger, but I think the Bulls have plenty of quality wings, like Sergeal,” said Zas. “Canan can also play wing if he doesn’t play centre. So I don’t think that Kurt-Lee being away will be a massive loss for them.”
THE LE ROUX FACTOR
Neither of them said it directly, but it was also clear that the Stormers will be more wary of what the Bulls' outside backs might be capable of on attack if, as is being assumed, two-time World Cup winner Willie le Roux switches from fullback to flyhalf. Le Roux moved to pivot for Boeta Chamberlain in the second half of the recent win over the Emirates Lions, and he changed the game in his team’s favour.
Those who watched Le Roux perform at flyhalf for Boland when he was a youngster will agree that he could be a devastating attacker from that position. And Laker agrees.
“Firstly, Willie’s from the Strand and he went to Paul Roos, and there’s only talented people from the Strand and Paul Roos, so I’m sure he can play 10,” Laker joked before switching into more serious mode.
“He is a world-class rugby player. You will remember he started out on the wing for the Boks before moving to 15 and he has played 98 test matches for his country. That is just phenomenal. I think he and Percy Montgomery share the record for being the joint most capped fullbacks in Bok history. They both started 80 times in that position.”
Indeed, Montgomery ended up passing the 100 mark overall, but he started his international career as a centre against the British and Irish Lions in 1997, with his change to fullback coming about when Nick Mallett took over from Carel du Plessis as Bok coach towards the end of that year. Montgomery later played flyhalf at the start of Harry Viljoen’s reign as coach in late 2000.
Le Roux could easily have played flyhalf for the Boks were he playing in an era where there were fewer good specialists in that position. And anyway, as Laker pointed out, he’s got plenty of experience of being first receiver during a game as he spends a lot of time dovetailing that role with the starting No 10.
“He has played a lot in that role as a first receiver for the Springboks so he has plenty of experience of it. His distribution and tactical kicking is really good and he also has a calming influence on the players around him.”