Life without magical Manie could be tough for Stormers

WHENEVER Manie Libbok pulls on a Stormers jersey, magic is bound to happen on the rugby field.

- COMMENT BY LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

However, his departure from the Stormers - confirmed in a video by the Cape side - to Japan is not just the end of a brilliant chapter of his rugby career in the Mother City.

But it could also end up in a flyhalf crisis for the team in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup.

For a franchise that rebuilt itself around flair, unpredictability and a free-flowing attacking game-plan when they nearly went Bankrupt losing the conductor of that orchestra is more than just a setback; it is a massive blow to their ambitions of winning titles in the future.

Let’s be blunt: the Stormers’ attacking identity doesn’t function without a flyhalf who can pull the strings and improvise on the attack.

Libbok isn’t just any No 10, though.

He has been at the forefront of their resurgence since joining from the Bulls and Sharks, two franchises that failed to unlock the full potential of his talent.