The good business done thus far by the DHL Stormers in what on at least one level has been a momentous off-season for the Cape franchise is showcased in the names marked down in the match day squad for Friday night’s pre-season clash with the SWD Eagles in George.
This weekend’s game marks the start of the buildup to the 2023/2024 season for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship runners up and inaugural champions and six of the new signings that have been made since the last season ended will be in action.
With the equity deal struck with a consortium known as Red Disa Investments effectively ending the financial problems that have blighted rugby in the Western Cape region and putting Western Province/Stormers on the map as a major player from an economic viewpoint, there is much excitement about what can be achieved going forward.
Perhaps there will be initial teething problems but certainly the long-term future of the Cape franchise appears to have been secured, and with John Dobson having become South Africa’s most popular coach, certainly the URC and European Championship levels of the game, the Stormers have a lot going for them.
And former Melbourne Rebels and Western Force head coach Dave Wessels is proving an astute worker behind the scenes in what is effectively a director of rugby role.
Of course the Stormers do have two holes to fill in the pack and they are fairly major ones if you consider that their erstwhile skipper Steven Kitshoff is considered perhaps the best in his position in world rugby, and departing lock Marvin Orie is a Springbok.
Former national age-group leader and Stormers and WP captain Ernst van Rhyn has also left for foreign shores.
SHORING UP THE DEPTH AT FORWARD
However, Dobson will feel he has gained two good potential front row replacements in the form of Sti Sithole, who impressed Dobson when he played for WP before departing for the Lions, and Lizo Gqoboko, while with Hendre Stessen announced as a new signing this week there is now extra cover both for the hole left by Orie at No 5 lock as well as shoring up the resources at blindside flank.
In both positions there is talent for Dobson to draw on, remembering of course that Ben-Jason Dixon had a breakthrough season as both a lock and a No 7 in 2022/2023, Gary Porter has shown massive potential, and Adre Smith is fit again after missing most of last season due to injury.
That is before even mentioning the fit again new captain Salmaan Moerat and perhaps the best buy made during the course of last year, Ruben van Heerden.
 Don’t bet against former Stormers star JD Shickerling, currently playing in Japan, being back before next season is completed either.
Stessen, who stands over two metres tall and is considered by national director of rugby Rassie Erasmus as a potential future Bok, shores up both the second row and back row resources, not that the back row needs much shoring up.
Stessen is on the bench for Friday night’s game, with the Stormers team to be led by veteran prop Brok Harris - yes, he’s around as a player in addition to his coaching role for at least one more season - and other newcomers in the match day squad include former Lions Bok Courtnall Skosan, former London Irish up and coming star Ben Loader, Gqoboko, Sithole and Warrick Gelant.
Experienced prop Brok Harris leads a 28-man DHL Stormers XV squad in our pre-season match against SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park in George on Friday night.
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) September 28, 2023
📢 Full team announcement https://t.co/qu3Af0fLUT#iamastormer #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/zs04gP6fHs
GELANT IS X-FACTOR DELUXE
Of course the last mentioned is a returning star, with Gelant’s decision to return to the franchise he starred for in their URC winning season of 2021/22 completely explaining why Dobson did not embrace the overtures from Springbok veteran fullback Willie le Roux, who hails from the Western Cape region but has subsequently signed for the Vodacom Bulls.
Gelant is a perfect fit for the Stormers playing style and culture, as he showed two seasons ago, and he and Manie Libbok, who is understood to have signed on with the Stormers for another three years, work very well together at the back. Those two in the same backline are X-factor deluxe.
Stefan Ungerer will play scrumhalf in George and is a reminder that there were a few new players last year who didn’t play much because of injury, but the man outside the former Sharks, Southern Kings and Griquas star is a reminder of what the Stormers got out of spreading their depth and installing Dobson as the coach during WP’s Currie Cup campaign.
Young Jurie Mathee certainly looked like a player of massive potential when he was blooded before the end of the 2022/2023 domestic campaign, and maybe that explains why the Stormers have allowed the currently injured Kade Wolhuter, another player with great potential, to go to the Emirates Lions on loan.
The Stormers will also be playing friendlies against the Sharks during the pre-season window so the side that has been chosen for Friday is far from being representative of the Stormers’ strength in depth as there are many other players who are not involved this weekend.
Players who extended contracts during the off-season that won’t be playing this weekend include the dynamic centre duo of Dan du Plessis and Ruhan Nel - with Gelant back we could well see Bok Damian Willemse play a lot at 12 going forward - and the fit again wing Leolin Zas, plus Van Heerden, Moerat, Neethling Fouche, the two first choice scrumhalves, Hacjivah Dayimani, Evan Roos, Joseph Dweba and the other absent World Cup Boks et al…
DHL Stormers XV: Clayton Blommetjies, Courtnall Skosan, Mnombo Zwelendaba, Cornel Smit, Ben Loader, Jurie Mathee, Stefan Ungerer, Marcel Theunissen, Jarrod Taylor, Willie Engelbrecht, Gary Porter, Adre Smith, Brok Harris (captain), Scarra Ntubeni, Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: JJ Kotze, Sti Sithole, Lizo Gcqoboko, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Hendre Stassen, Sylan Sjoblom, Keenan Opperman, Tom Bursey, Godlen Masimla, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Juan de Jongh, Chris Hollis, Warrick Gelant.