Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has had to name an inexperienced backline for tomorrow's crunch Super 15 match against the Blues in Auckland because injuries have ravaged his team. Springbok centres Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie are out, De Villiers with a chest injury and Fourie with groin strain. Former flyhalf Peter Grant has pulled out with an ankle injury.
Juan de Jongh and Johann Sadie will pair up in a new midfield combination while Lionel Cronje will take over the flyhalf duties, which he fulfilled so well before the tour when Grant was recovering from a knee injury.
Sadie will make only his second appearance in Super rugby after a superb outing on the wing against the Crusaders a fortnight ago. He is more used to playing centre, but losing three vital cogs in the backline is a nightmare in a match against a top New Zealand team that could have huge consequences for the Stormers' season.
Two weeks ago, the Stormers were comfortably in the top two on the overall standings. Even Sharks coach John Plumtree conceded that it would be difficult to stop them topping the SA conference. But back-to-back defeats against the Crusaders and Chiefs have left the Cape side just one point clear of the Sharks with three tour games to come.
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