The DHL Stormers return to action this week after a four week break since their Durban defeat to the Hollywoodbets Sharks with their ranks bolstered in some instances and also depleted in some areas.
The Stormers head to Johannesburg to play the Lions on Saturday in third position on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship log and with a game in hand on most of the teams, so in that sense they are coming back from the two defeats to the Sharks feeling a bit like Ireland might have felt before beating England this past weekend - meaning “rumours of our demise are greatly exaggerated”.
But with the Bulls lying in wait up the M1/N1 link to Pretoria two weeks later, the Lions game is a huge one for the Stormers as they look to get back on the horse after what were their first two defeats of the season in their primary competition.
To that end, they will be pleased to have some experienced players coming back into the mix, including the man who led them to success in the early rounds of the competition, Ruhan Nel.
DECISION TO BE MADE ON NEL
Perhaps Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman was understandably keeping his cards close to his chest when he said on Monday that a decision will be made later in the week on Nel’s availability for the Ellis Park game, as well as Deon Fourie and Seabelo Senatla. Dan du Plessis, who has been out for some time, is also back in training with the Stormers, as his is cousin, Jean-Luc du Plessis.
“They have all started training with us and we will make a call on their availability for this week’s game tomorrow (Tuesday),” said Snyman.
“It will be a tough call as they’ve been out for a while and you don’t want to rush anyone back too quickly. But Ruhan is back and Deon is back and going really nice. Keke (Morabe) has also been back in training but he has been in and out of training so won’t be available for selection just yet.”
RETURNING PLAYERS BOLSTER BACKLINE DEPTH
With the Stormers’ depth being mainly tested at the back in the early part of the season because of injuries, director of rugby John Dobson will be able to breathe a bit easier with backline players coming back in.
Dan du Plessis and Nel have been the established midfield combination for a few seasons now, and with Damian Willemse unlikely to play in Johannesburg because of Springbok resting protocols, the addition of Du Plessis and Nel to the other options in the form of Jonathan Roche, Wandisile Simelane and Suleiman Hartzenberg is timeous.
Jean-Luc du Plessis also brings utility value as he is as at home at flyhalf as he is at inside centre.
Perhaps the Du Plessis cousins won’t be ready this week but having Dan in particular back in the mix, because of his value as one of the Stormers’ team leaders, will be beneficial. He’s captained the Stormers before, as of course have Nel and Fourie.
Fourie, known by his teammates as Brannas, will probably fill a bench role if he plays at all in Johannesburg, and he will help relieve some of the pressure on the influential Paul de Villiers as the team’s main ball-scavenging loose-forward.
“It will be good to have him to help out Paul, but obviously it is going to take him two or three games to get Deon fully fit,” said Snyman.
“He has worked hard on his return from injury and we know he is very tough mentally, he is prepared to take himself into dark places to achieve what he sets out to do. It is not so much just as a help for Paul that Deon is valuable to us, it is also his leadership.
"He is a firm leader and brings with him a lot of standards he expects those around him to meet. For the group as a whole his return to the playing field is very good.”
RUHAN SHOULD LEAD IF HE PLAYS
Veteran Fourie was of course the de-facto Springbok captain in the final quarter of the winning World Cup final effort against New Zealand in Paris two and a bit years ago so his leadership and his role as a talisman to the Stormers is well known.
Nel too will make a huge difference if he plays on Saturday, particularly as the organiser of the defence and should be captain if he plays.
That is said because it is anticipated that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who captained the Stormers before the break coinciding with the playing of the Guinness Six Nations started, is likely to join fellow Bok Willemse in sitting out this game as per the Bok resting protocols.
With the weather forecast predicting wet weather for Johannesburg on Saturday, don’t bet on Jurie Matthee having a big role to play at Ellis Park, as he did when he drove the Stormers to victory in a wet weather game against the Bulls in Pretoria last year.
HACJIVAH SLOTTING IN LIKE HE NEVER LEFT
The returning injured players are not the only personnel to bolster the Stormers at this stage of the season, they’ve been joined by Hacjivah Dayimani, who is back from two years in France and according to Snyman has slotted back in like he never left, as well as former Cheetahs and North-West University Varsity Cup winning hooker Vernon Paulo.
On the negative side of the balance sheet some staunch forwards in the form of Salmaan Moerat, Ruben van Heerden and Ruan Ackermann are on the injured list, with the mini crisis at lock possibly meaning that Ben-Jason Dixon will play some games in the second row - something that is easily facilitated now that Dayimani is back to stake a claim for his old No 7 jersey.