Rugby team saves Qantas flight
The Stormers may be the enemy for the Western Force on Friday night but the South African Super 14 rugby team are heroes in the eyes of cabin crew of a Qantas flight.
Smarting from a last minute loss to the Blues in Auckland, the Stormers were flying from Sydney to Perth on Sunday when an apparently alcohol-affected passenger started causing trouble.
The cabin crew were having trouble calming the man and so they asked the Stormers’ contingent whether they would try to ease his agitation.
After some initial success by defence coach Brendan Venter, the passenger piped up again - prompting three of the larger Stormers, including young prop Wicus Blaauw, to bring their presence to bear.
"The crew realised the Stormers are quite big," team manager Frikkie Erasmus told AAP.
"So a few of the boys went back to deal with the guy.
"He became extremely aggressive and abusive. So that’s when one of our number gave him a bit of a slap. That seemed to do the trick.
"When we landed in Perth the federal police boarded the plane and arrested the passenger and took statements from the players.
"The crew thanked us for helping out."
Meanwhile, Stormers hooker Tiaan Liebenberg, who withdrew ahead of the win over the Reds in Brisbane three weeks ago, is travelling back to Perth to rejoin his team for the Force match after recovering from a thigh muscle strain.
However wing Joe Pietersen has sustained a hamstring injury and will return home.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has hinted he will not tinker with the backline that started against the Blues, leaving Peter Grant at flyhalf, Jean de Villiers and Gcobani Bobo in the midfield, with former All Black Tony Brown as an option off the bench.
The only likely change in the pack is Andries Bekker starting, with Ross Skeate in the second row and Adriaan Fondse dropping down to the bench.
