Stormers lose big tackling Barry for Chiefs clash

1.00pm

Springbok second five-eighth De Wet Barry has been ruled out of the Stormers Super 12 team to take on the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium tomorrow night with a hamstring injury.

The Stormers, who arrived in Hamilton yesterday, are confident they have the man to do the job in his place -- first-time starter Gavin Hume.

But while Hume, 24, has reportedly impressed when he has come on as a replacement, showing an ability to play first receiver and kick well in addition to being a powerful ball carrier, the South African visitors will miss the huge experience of Barry, who has 23 caps for the Springboks and is central to their defensive system.

Coincidentally, the Chiefs' key midfield man, Keith Lowen, also has a hamstring injury and may yet miss the match.

Stormers coach Gert Smal last night named a team with Hume the only change to the starting 15, expressing satisfaction with the lineup that destroyed the Blues 51-23 at Eden Park last Friday night.

While Smal was particularly coy when talking about his own side he pointed out he had strengthened his bench considerably with the addition of three star players returning after not being available last week.

Springbok lock Selborne Boome and another usual starter, blindside flanker Schalk Burger, have both returned from injuries but could not force the players who took their places out of the run-on lineup. Willem Stoltz and Quinton Davids retain the second-row berths and Hendrik Gerber, who starred against the Blues, keeps the No 7 jersey, which in South African teams is usually the blindside.

Experienced Springbok wing and intercept king Pieter Rossouw missed the Blues match because he did not arrive in Auckland until the day of the match, having stayed in South Africa for the birth of his second child. With little Zimbabwean flyer Tonderai Chavhanga making such an impression in his place with two tries against the Blues he has been retained and Rossouw comes on to the bench. That leaves another Springbok, Breyton Paulse, again shut out of the match 22.

It is an imposing bench with Bolla Conradie and Chris Rossouw, who were the starting halfback-first five combination earlier in the season, also included, along with previous starting tight-head prop Pat Barnard.

Smal said his side had found the first 10 days in New Zealand a bit difficult, adjusting to time zone differences and recovering from travel, but said his players were now well acclimatised and preparations had gone well for a match the Stormers have targeted as a must-win fixture in their quest for a home semifinal back in Cape Town.

They have six wins from eight games and say they need two more to be sure in such a close race for the semifinal spots. Smal said he had rated the Chiefs highly from the time he saw them play their first match of the current season on television.

"I think they are quite different to the Blues -- a well-balanced team with a good pack of forwards, good backs. We'll have to be at our best as they play well together as a team.

"They are hell of a physical and I think they took the Sharks out quite nicely in that respect. We'll have to match them in that area if we are to beat them."

Stormers: Werner Greeff, Tonderai Chavanga, Marius Joubert, Gus Theron, Gavin Hume, Gaffie du Toit, Neil De Kock, Adri Badenhorst, Hendrik Gerber, Willem Stoltz, Quinton Davids, Corne Krige (c), Eddie Andrews, Pieter Dixon, Daan Human. Res: David Britz, Pat Barnard, Selborne Boome, Schalk Burger, Bolla Conradie, Chris Rossouw, Pieter Rossouw.

- NZPA