Stormers XXIII Sweat on Du Plessis and Kebble for Boland

Two injury clouds are hanging over Stormers XXIII ahead of Sunday's Currie Cup clash away to Boland Cavaliers in Wellington — and both involve players Tom Dawson-Squibb's side can ill afford to lose.

Captain Jean-Luc du Plessis, who picked up a knee problem, and loosehead prop Oli Kebble, nursing a shoulder injury, both departed early during last Friday's season-opening 25-19 win over defending champions Griquas at DHL Stadium. Neither has trained since. Forwards coach Helmut Lehmann confirmed on Tuesday that a Thursday decision will determine whether either man travels to Wellington.

'With Oli, medically he has been checked, he did have a scan on that shoulder,' Lehmann told reporters. 'He didn't train today or yesterday and later this week, we'll make a decision on his availability, when we get the proper feedback from our doctors in terms of the extent of the injury. On Thursday when we announce the team we will likely know, medically, if he can play or not.'

He added that Du Plessis was in a similar position. 'JL also didn't partake in these last two days of training. With a nine-day turnaround between matches, it gives us a bit more time for the guys to sort out their niggles.'

The timing is uncomfortable. Boland are no soft touch on home soil. Hawies Fourie's Cavaliers beat the Bulls XV 24-10 last Sunday, scoring three tries to one in wet and muddy conditions to open their Currie Cup campaign with a statement. The Stormers XXIII also have recent history to contend with — they were hammered 54-26 in Wellington in a pre-season friendly on 5 July.

'They've got a proper set-up there and the way they play on Sundays, or any game, it's exciting rugby and they bring the people to the ground — and that's where the pressure cooker comes in,' Lehmann said.

Discipline is another concern. The Capetonians conceded two yellow cards and a barrage of penalties against Griquas before Stefan Ungerer's late try eventually settled the contest. Hooker Vernon Paulo, who barged over for the Stormers XXIII's opening try on the night, was blunt about what went wrong. 'We were very eager to face Griquas and as we analysed in our meetings, that's not the way that's going to win us a game, or we're going to be as lucky as to get back in a game with 12 penalties in the first half,' he said. 'All the teams find it difficult to play at Boland Park on a Sunday, with all the people pitching up. We know there'll be noise … but it's about us and delivering on the day.'

Lehmann echoed the warning. 'Our discipline was poor … it put the team under a lot of pressure. It's not going to be any better for us if we continue with that ill-discipline, especially at Boland.'

Fitness confirmations on Thursday will shape the Stormers XXIII's selection — and set the tone for their Currie Cup ambitions before the Boland RU Ground test kicks off on Sunday. For the full Currie Cup Round 1 review, including all match results, head to Octafield.