Stormers to call up Ollie le Roux for clash against Lions

Ollie le Roux, who turned 35 on Saturday as the Stormers scrum was crumbling against the Waratahs, could have the grandest swansong in South African rugby by running out for the Cape side in their do-or-die battle against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Stormers have sent out an SOS to the 54-cap Springbok legend, who will make an appearance at training on Monday afternoon, to shore up their brittle scrum.

But Le Roux is only eligible to play this one game for the Stormers, his first and last, and not the semi-final a week later if the Cape side do make it to the playoffs.

WOW i remember ollie... from when i was knee high to a grasshopper, when i used to listen to my parents sharks CD and he was on it! he was my favourite!!! thats so cool!

Another member of the "Burger" family!?!?!?!?

always count on the old ones

The Ellis Park pie-cart is toast.

lets call up Latham to play prop for us

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Originally Posted by tragic

The Ellis Park pie-cart is toast.

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I can't wait to see what kind of shape the big bugger's in after not playing all season. :D

peak pie condition

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Originally Posted by shasta

I can't wait to see what kind of shape the big bugger's in after not playing all season. :D

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He has been playing club rugby in Ireland

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The big Springbok who is one of the most experienced Super 14 players after an extensive career with both the Sharks and Vodacom Cheetahs, trained with the Stormers on Monday after arriving from Ireland, where he was playing club rugby.

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Here is the latest news:

Stormers wait on Ollie decision

The Vodacom Stormers are to seek permission for Ollie le Roux to play for them in the Super 14 play-off matches – should they get that far.

The big Springbok who is one of the most experienced Super 14 players after an extensive career with both the Sharks and Vodacom Cheetahs, trained with the Stormers on Monday after arriving from Ireland, where he was playing club rugby.

It seems almost certain that Le Roux, who was prevented from speaking to the media at the training session at Durbanville, will play against the Lions in the final league match on Saturday. The question on whether he will get to start or not may depend on whether he gets the go-ahead from SA Rugby’s Super 14 tournament director, Johan Botes, to play in the semifinals.

If he is denied the opportunity to play in the semi-finals, it may not make sense for Le Roux to be used against the Lions in anything other than an emergency as it will rob the Stormers of continuity if they do make the semi. However, the semi is such a big prize in itself, that Le Roux could then play at Ellis Park off the bench.

The Stormers have been asked to make a request in writing and Botes will make a decision based on how heavily the Stormers have been impacted by the injury to JD Moller and their apparent lack of depth at loose-head. The recruitment of Le Roux may seem unorthodox to some, but it is no different really to the old draft policy that once saw the Stormers’ current coach play a couple of games for the Stormers a couple of years ago when he was still contracted as a player to the Free State.

The Stormers do need to sort out their scrumming as a matter of urgency, as they were close to disintegration at times against the Waratahs. First prize for Erasmus, and this is the reason he is talking to Le Roux, must be to return Brian Mujati to tighthead for the match against his old teammates.

The way the Stormers trained in Durbanville on Monday appeared to indicate that Erasmus may also consider a change to his loose-forward configuration, with Luke Watson returning to No8 and Pieter Myburgh coming in at openside flank. This two fetcher combination would then be employed to combat the significant fetching skills of Baywatch Grobelaar.

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Originally Posted by pieter blackie

He has been playing club rugby in Ireland

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I can't wait to see what shape the big bugger's in after scoffing Guinness all season. :D

As all Props peak condition all the time