Stormers remove two World Cup-winning Boks from Champions Cup squad
The Stormers have removed the injured duo of Steven Kitshoff and Damian Willemse from their Investec Champions Cup squad just days before their campaign gets underway.
The double World Cup-winning loosehead prop recently underwent neck fusion surgery, while Willemse is suffering from a groin injury in a year where he has been beset by issues.
Kitshoff was recently a guest on RugbyPass TV's Boks Office, where he detailed the severity of his injury and the surgery, saying: “It’s a bit of a stressful one because it’s such a high area of my neck – C1 and C2 – which is a bit of an issue."
The 32-year-old recently revealed on social media that he was "thrilled to share that my operation was a big success,” but added that it will be a "long recovery journey," which explains why he will be unavailable this weekend and beyond for the Stormers.
The pair have been deregistered for the opening round of the competition, against Toulon on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with two additional players being added.
Zachary Porthen has been called up in Kitshoff's place, while Willemse has been replaced by Jonathan Roche.
Saracens have been forced into the same move ahead of their match against the Bulls, with second-row academy graduate Charlie Barker being replaced by Tiff Eden.
Only one other Champions Cup outfit has opted to alter their squad, with Leicester Tigers deregistering back-row Joshua Manz in order for Cameron Miell to join the squad for their trip to face Bordeaux-Begles.
Edinburgh have been forced into two squad changes ahead of their Challenge Cup meeting with Gloucester, with Scotland centre Mark Bennett and flanker Connor Boyle out. Euan McVie and Tom Currie will step in in their place.
The final squad change comes from France, where Perpignan have called up back-row Andro Dvali for Alan Brazo.
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Yeah, agreed. It goes back to his predecessors learning that you've got to be better and allow for those sorts of calls. Was it like the RWC Final where a bad decision changed the result?
Of course, but he was also the one that started this fad of playing with a hero first five, that obviously wasn't working even then, when you've got a game controller like Cruden available. Cruden was miles of order better than BB during the Lions tour, he just wasn't the pin up boy, the chosen one, much the same as how Foster was for the next cycle.
He was also the one that chose players lacking carrying ability, which in this article he is lamenting his team for lacking in the 19' WC Semi Final against England. As I've pointed out (here or in another post), that's on him for not developing those players, like selecting a relative unknown as Razor did in Tosi (technically it's Ryan who was tight five selector).
Don't also forget that despite not playing well in second halves, Razor's AB was robbed of games against France and South Africa, with dodgy yellow cards and penalties going against NZ all over. It could easily have been an undefeated season just by referring results flipping.
Go to commentsWales have had more of a NZ philosophy: easily historically the best/most skillful 4 nations team. The physicality came in with Gatland and reflected that crop of players.
Their culture and philosophy are skillful attacking teams.
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