JJ Engelbrecht’s redemption at the Stormers might not come

Earlier this year, the Stormers were scurrying around for a temporary centre to help with a injury crisis in the midfield.

When the franchise announced they’d recruited New Zealander Shaun Treeby, eyebrows were raised.

It’s not often that a Kiwi comes to South Africa to play Super Rugby.

Almost in passing, coach Robbie Fleck mentioned that JJ Engelbrecht was also mooted.

“We looked at him and decided not to pursue him further for various reasons.”

Whatever those reasons are, they clearly don’t apply anymore because the 28-year-old former Springbok will be reporting for Super Rugby duty in 2018.

Engelbrecht’s return to Newlands – he started his senior provincial career with Western Province – will be met with mixed reaction.

In fact, it’s likely there’ll be downright scepticism.

Engelbrecht (unless he does wonders next year) will go down as yet another local backline player whose career steadily drifted into irrelevance.

That might be a harsh word to use but it’s unfortunately accurate.

The Port Elizabeth native burnt out as quickly as he rose through the ranks.

He was notably recruited by the Bulls in mid-2011, much to the irritation of Cape rugby fans, who at the time felt he was something special.

Retreaded from winger to centre at Loftus, it took Engelbrecht just over eight months to make his Test debut under Heyneke Meyer.

That occasion – against Argentina at Newlands – proved rather inauspicious but his stock continued to rise as he played 11 Tests in 2013.

He was given a national contract in 2014 yet never played in the Green-and-Gold again.

Engelbrecht stayed at the Bulls until the end of the 2015 season before being released to Welsh side Ospreys.

That six-month stay didn’t last long and he’s been playing for Japan’s Toyota Industries Shuttles.

It’s all been very low key.

“We are excited about the depth of talent that we have at our disposal with a number of senior players committing who will be able to provide valuable guidance for the talented youngsters coming through,” said Stormers director of rugby Gert Smal.

Engelbrecht will undoubtedly be one of those senior players.

The question though is: where does he fit in?

The latter stages of Engelbrecht’s stay at the Bulls exposed a lack of skill to be a truly world-class centre, which makes one wonder whether it might not be a better bet to move him back to wing.

But with the Stormers recruiting two Springbok wingers in Raymond Rhule and Sergeal Petersen, will he even find a spot there?

And that sums up Engelbrecht’s dilemma – he might want to redeem himself but that ship might’ve sailed already…

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