Heading to Cape Town: Jaco Taute
Related links
Teams
Also see
Springbok utility back Jaco Taute will join the Stormers for the Super Rugby season next year on a loan deal from the Lions.
The 21-year-old's agent has confirmed to various sectors of the South African press that the deal is being finalised with an official announcement set to be made in the next few days.
Taute, who is still contracted to the Lions until the end of 2013, is also expected to be joined in Cape Town by Lions and Springbok team-mate Elton Jantjies after his agent also confirmed that negotiations were at an advanced stage.
Both players will return to the Lions for the promotion-relegation match against the Kings at the end of the Super Rugby season.
"Jaco has decided that WP is the place that he really wants to go to. We are just busy negotiating to come to the desirable terms. We are very close to coming to terms," Taute's agent Eduard Kelder told Cape Times.
According to other reports in the South African media, Taute, who made his Test debut at outside centre against Australia two weeks ago, has been promised he will play full-back, his preferred position, for the Stormers.
Meanwhile, Kelder confirmed that Lions hooker Callie Visagie has also agreed to join the Bulls next year on a loan deal.
Kelder said Visagie also agreed to extend his contract with the Lions for the next year.
Visagie will rejoin the Lions two weeks before their promotion-relegation match against the South African franchise which finishes last on the Super Rugby table.
His move is an interesting one as the Bulls already have Springbok Chiliboy Ralepelle and Willie Wepener as their main two hookers, while SA U20 hooker Bongi Mbonambi is also on the Pretoria-based outfit's books.
Lions Ceo Ruben Moggee revealed last week - when talking about the release of players - that they would only loan out players if they are part of a matchday 22 and not as part of an extended squad.
"We have to make sure the player is comfortable with any move," he told Supersport.
"The other factor is to make sure he is in the starting 22 and to ensure the player brings some experience of a Super Rugby campaign back with him.
"We're not going to send our players to be part of an extended squad or be on the bench the whole time, they will need to get game time..
"If he isn't part of the setup then we feel we have good enough rugby to play here at the Lions next year."
Comments
melkdave says...
Well its a novel idea to keep these outstanding players in SA and playing top class rugby,Wont be bad for the bokke either imo..Also have to agree with you@Jaystar their arrival could spark the Stormers attack,which didnt live upto its potential last year.Their arrival cerntinally wont weaken the Stormers challange ,thats for sure.
Posted 16:10 14th October 2012
Ramage says...
Jay Starr McKenzie is still at the helm of the Reds for next year. Graham the Queenslander who reneged on his contract when he found he was not a top line coach for the Force has been put in as an assistant to McKenzie and if the Reds are wise will keep him there as he was a disaster for the Force.
Of course everything could change when Robbie Deans is shown the back door because there are people in the hierarchy who never really wanted Deans and have been bad mouthing him since his appointment. Nobody though was prepared to stand up to O'Neill and now that O'Neill has been shown the back door and asked to clear his desk then it is now how soon Mc kenzie will be called up to replace Deans.
Unfortunately for the ARU this is not the solution to the many problems O'Neill is leaving behind him as he rides off into the sunset.
Does the fact that the Stormers are now taking these Lions into their midst mean that they now win the "MartinMarais Grubiness Award taking over from those terrible Sharks who used to buy up all the best players from the Republic. Or is there something I am missing and the excuses are already out.
Posted 07:08 13th October 2012
JayStarr says...
@ rolf: The young greek (Demitri Katrakilis) signed for the Kings for next year. They promised him a starting spot and he is from the Eastern Cape originally. Also, Peter Grant did not offer much other than a cool head and accurate boot (the same for Katrakilis) - and none of the other young fly-halves have taken their opportunities... So we had to look somewhere else.
Elton Jantjies is a fly-half who can provide a spark and put people around him into space. He was a stand-out player this season, even though his team was at the bottom of the log. I think the quality he'll have around him in a team who was at the top of the log might just bring the best out in him.
As for Joe Pietersen - he is not nearly the player he was before he left for France. He used to score or create at least one try in every game - now all he does is kick. And when he does try to run and the opposition catches him, they drive him 5 m back - he is not nearly as strong in the tackle as Aplon. Taute on the other hand is big, strong, fast, elusive, young and has a massive boot too. I definitely think he offers more.
Posted 15:19 12th October 2012
rolf says...
and what happens to the young greek, if Jantjes arrives? And Joe Pietersen?
I didnt think that he was the Stormers problem....
but heck: Jaco Taute is a class act, so it will be good.
Posted 14:09 12th October 2012
benski says...
AWESOME!!! Excellent news, Taute at 15 and Jantjies at 10 Yipee!!
Posted 13:42 12th October 2012
martinmarais78 says...
SORRY for the Lions, GREAT for us!!!
Dont blame us for stealing him, BLAME SARU and the Kings for the Lions exodus!
Posted 12:00 12th October 2012
JayStarr says...
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY....!!!!!!!!!!
Play him at fullback, Jantjies at 10 and young Schreuder at 9 and that backline will finally have spark and attacking penetration behind those dominant forwards!
If the Stormers can attack even half as well as they defend, they can finally be Super Rugby champions next year. Their attack was the worst in the competition this season, but they finished top of the log. It was only in the finals that their pathetic attack was exposed. That just shows how amazing their defense is!
So if they can finally unleash players like De Jongh, Aplon and Habana with guys like Taute and Jantjies calling the shots and keeping defenders on their toes, while playing behind Energizer-bunny forwards like Etzebeth, Bekker, Vermeulen, Kolisi and a returning Schalk Burger, I can't see who will stop them once they (finally) get going...
Richie McCaw is out - and the Crusaders are just not the same without him... SBW and Taumalolo (who along with Cruden carried the Chiefs to the finals on their backs) have gone overseas... The Reds will have the Force's coach... The Bulls are really struggling... So the Sharks will probably be our biggest challengers other than the Chiefs and Crusaders. But even they have lost Kankowski and Michalak (who almost single-handedly helped them get to the finals after the June break) and will be losing Riaan Viljoen - so they are looking a bit thin for quality back-up.
With these aqusitions and the right game-plan, the Stormers can finally become the increcible team we all know they can be!
Posted 11:16 12th October 2012
Carpelone says...
Jaco, aarrgghh, that missed kick to touch.....
Posted 09:13 12th October 2012
Sasquatch says...
Maybe they'll teach him to frikkin' tackle.
Posted 08:48 12th October 2012