Chavhanga ruled out

The Stormers sustained another body blow when it was learned that in-form winger Tonderai Chavhanga is likely to miss the rest of the Super 14 season.

The Stormers sustained another body blow when it was learned that in-form winger Tonderai Chavhanga is likely to miss the rest of the Super 14 season.

Chavhanga left the field in the first half of the 20-12 win over the Hurricanes at Newlands on Saturday with a hamstring injury. The speedy wing underwent scans on Monday, and it was confirmed that it was a grade two tear, which is relatively serious.

The injury occurred when Chavhanga decided to kick ahead after a sprint down the touchline.

And unless Chavhanga, who holds the Springbok record for scoring the most tries in a Test, makes a dramatic recovery in at least the next fortnight, his hitherto spectacular Super 14 season is as good as over.

The 24-year-old started in all nine Stormers matches, scoring four tries.

“We will only find out later in the week just how long he will be out for, but at the moment the quickest that Tonderai could come back would be four weeks,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.

The players in the running for Chavhanga's place include Dylan des Fountain, Gio Aplon and Joe Pietersen.

Des Fountain, who played winger on a couple of occasions last season and although normally a centre, does not lack pace and has an advantage over Aplon in terms of size.

That is something that could count for something against teams like the Highlanders and the Brumbies, the next two Stormers opponents.

In an emergency, Erasmus could consider using centre Jean de Villiers on the wing, and then play regular pivot Peter Grant in midfield. That would open the way for former All Blacks playmaker Tony Brown to slot into the fly-half position.

Brown, has only been used as an impact player after he joined the Stormers halfway through the Super 14 season.