Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok will miss the game due to his knee injury, Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
The Stormers-Bulls game in the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday will play out differently because Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok is out injured and won’t feature, according to Bulls boss Jake White.
The mercurial Sprigbok playmaker has suffered a knee injury and will be replaced at number 10 by Jurie Matthee in the Stormers team.
The less-experience Matthee, 24, has only played three United Rugby Championship (URC) games this season (two starts) with a combined 111 minutes featured.
That is as many games as he played throughout the whole of last season’s URC.
Bulls director of rugby White said the dynamics certainly change without Libbok’s signature cheeky cross-kicks and creative plays, but Matthee could not be discounted either.
“You talk about a Springbok who has won a World Cup. Manie has never played badly against the Bulls,” White said.
“Every time we’ve played them so much has been said about his playing and he has always stepped up to the plate against the Bulls.”
Libbok would have been expected to continue his good form against his old club on Saturday, after scoring a try against Leinster in their last game.
“But I’ve always said as well [that] opportunities come when the door opens,” continued White.
“One of the most famous stories I share with the players is when I was with Nick Mallett in France [in 1997] and Justin Swart went to the captain’s practice and Percy Montgomery went shopping.
“Justin Swart pulled a hamstring and Monty came back with all the shopping bags and was told he was playing against France. One hundred Tests and a World Cup medal later shows what can happen on one Friday afternoon when you are out shopping in Paris.”
White said he knows how important Libbok is to the Stormers’ game style and how well he plays with Warrick Gelant and Damian Willemse.
“But opportunity knocks for any player and if you think that because one is out things are going to be [easier], it usually comes back to bite you.”
White said he remembered Matthee playing very well against Leicester Tigers in December 2023. There, Mathee scored a drop-goal, two conversions and three penalties.
“I am sure he will want to take this opportunity and play as well as he can,” White said.
The teams play at a packed Cape Town Stadium after a week’s break following the Bulls’ bonus-point 35–22 win over the Lions in Johannesburg and the Stormers’ 36–12 drubbing by Leinster in Ireland.
The Stormers have won their last three games at home and desperately need some wins to move up from 12th on the URC table.
Though they are in the lower half of the 16-team table, the Stormers are only five points off seventh-placed Munster.
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