The DHL Stormers are not a one man team so they didn’t use it as an excuse for the weekend’s defeat to a Hollywoodbets Sharks side that also was without some key players, but there was no denying that one man in particular was missing who could have made a big difference.
Evan Roos, the powerful and influential No 8, was pulled out late in the week building up to the Vodacom URC derby at DHL Stadium. Late withdrawals always hurt more than those that are known well ahead of time, and while Marcel Theunissen was soundly backed by his coach John Dobson at the team announcement press conference, the reality is the pair are very different players.
It was a game where Roos’ ability to turn bad ball into good ball, to get the ball across the advantage line, to ensure possession is better secured and protected by operating as a one off runner for that purpose, was glaring for its absence.
So having Roos, who was withdrawn from the team for the Cape Town game as a precaution, with Dobson saying that had it been a final and not just another league game he would have played, will have provided a significant boost for his teammates in training this week.
Big week as we build towards another @Vodacom #URC derby in Durban. #SHAvSTO #inittogether pic.twitter.com/S2eAONXzfL
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 26, 2026
Roos is not the only player who was missing last week who is back in training, for Adre Smith, who has been out since sustaining an infection to a graze he suffered in the 3 January derby win over the Vodacom Bulls, has also been added back to the mix.
The former Griquas hard man has been a pivotal part of the Stormers’ version of the bomb squad this season and although there are times when he lets himself down with his indiscipline, when he doesn’t overdo the aggro he’s often a challenger for man of the match.
“It was very big for us to have both Evan and Adre back in training for us (at the start of the week),” said forwards coach Rito Hlungwani.
“We obviously rate Marcel highly but you would have noted that Marcel and Evan are very different players and we use them differently. Marcel has been more of a finisher, so when Evan had to withdraw late last week it forced a change of rules or approach from us.
Evan has a very powerful and high work rate, he gives us a lot of go forward and yes we did miss him in last week’s game and it will be massive for us if he and Adre play on Saturday in Durban.”
MOERAT WILL MISS KINGS PARK FIXTURE
On the negative side of the balance sheet the Stormers look like they will be heading to Hollywoodbets Kings Park without club captain Salmaan Moerat, who played off the bench against the Sharks in Cape Town and was unfortunate to be the recipient of a team yellow card at a defensive lineout not long after he came onto the field.
At the same time, however, he suffered the toe injury in that set that saw him move back to the bench once his time in the naughty chair early in the second half was over.
“Salmaan didn’t train today and if you don’t train on a Tuesday then it is highly unlikely you are going to train. I don’t know the full extent of Salmaan’s injury,” said Hlungwani.
It is a blow to the Stormers to be without Moerat as having four quality locks to call on has been a big part of the Stormers’ success in the more significant wins they have scored this season.
Connor Evans is being given game capacity by Dobson, mostly because he knows that Ruben van Heerden is heading to France next season, and everyone who has seen him play at age-group level considers him highly promising but he has yet to really take proper ownership of a second row place at senior level.
Smith’s status as a hard man who fulfils the role that Moerat does in the tight loose will partly off-set Moerat’s absence, but the Stormers are missing two key men who played a big role in outlasting the rated Bulls pack just over three weeks ago as Ruhan Ackermann is also out injured.
It is not just personnel that could make a difference for the Stormers but also attitude. While of course the coaches and players will deny it, the soft start the Stormers made to the Cape Town derby did support the theory they may have gone into the game with some complacency, which is usually sub-conscious and therefore unmeasurable, but that won’t be the case in Durban after the hurt that was suffered at DHL Stadium.
“Having back-to-back games like this, with them being just seven days a part, does give you an opportunity to quickly deal with the challenges you faced and set them right,” said the Stormers forwards coach.
“Instead of waiting three to four months like you usually would you get a chance to go again in just seven days and address the issues that might have been exposed. In that sense the short turnaround may actually be better for the losing team.”