After their perfect start to their Champions Cup campaign it is back Vodacom URC business this week for the DHL Stormers, who will be looking to cement their position among the front runners by getting full points from the two fixtures they play before the November international break.
Scarlets are first up on Saturday for the Stormers before they go in against Ulster, always a difficult opponent, the following week. Both games are at home at the DHL Stadium, after which comes a break of several weeks before they resume after the November internationals with a trip to Durban for the return derby against the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
There will be plenty of feel good for director of rugby John Dobson and his charges if they can maximise the two home games, as it will leave them finishing the first part of the season with just the one blemish away against Edinburgh on their record. That will be a good platform to build on when December arrives.
Hacjivah Dayimani missed out on facing Bristol Bears in the first Champions Cup game because of a concussion issue but assistant coach Dawie Snyman says he will be ready to play Scarlets. That would normally mean a selection quandary, with Evan Roos also now fit again and back in his starting position of No 8 against Bristol, but this might anyway be a game where the Stormers rotate selections.
Ulster is the tougher of the two home games the Stormers play before the international break and this might be a week to give the Springboks a break - if indeed they are available for the Ulster game given that the national squad should be heading to Europe around about then to prepare for the first game of the away leg of the Nations Championship against Italy.
National captain Siya Kolisi has now played three successive games upon his return to Stormers colours, which means this could be an opportunity to rest him and play Dayimani at blindside flank, which is where Kolisi has played the past few games. According to Snyman, the Stormers are now in a good position in terms of injuries, although there is still doubt over regular skipper Ruhan Nel’s readiness to play after missing the Bristol game with a calf complaint.
“Hacjivah had his concussion but he should be available this week. We’re actually in a good position in terms of players available,” said Snyman.
“When it comes to Ruhan, it is probably more precautionary at this stage. He could have pushed it and played (against Bristol).”
Snyman confirmed that the calf injury was not to the same calf that forced him from the field in the game against the All Blacks in August.
Scarlets have never troubled the Stormers in games played in the Western Cape before (one was in Stellenbosch) and this seems a good time for Dobson to mix up selections and possibly give one of his alternative flyhalves, Yaqeen Ahmed or Jurie Matthee, another run, but Snyman stressed that cohesion is important so the team would need to be selected around a stabilised core.
The game should be a good opportunity for the Stormers to continue their early season mission of making them adaptable when it comes to game strategy. The Stormers completed 18 offloads against Bristol, the joint highest along with Connacht of the opening round of the Champions Cup, and did not rely as much on the forward power that destroyed the Hollywoodbets Sharks in the URC coastal derby the previous week.
“At this stage of the season there’s a lot of focus on ourselves and getting our game right. We’ll keep building and keep working on it,” said Snyman.
“The way we won against Bristol was almost completely different to the way we played against the Sharks, although there were moments that looked the same. We are trying to develop all aspects of our game.”
Scarlets are a good attacking side so there is no question of the Stormers disrespecting them, but like the Springboks they have enough good players on their books to necessitate spreading the selection around occasionally to build the game capacity of the squad players.