Relief for Stormers as Orie cleared for tough tour

There was some relief for the DHL Stormers on Monday as Springbok lock Marvin Orie was included in a 28-man squad that leaves for a tough two match tour that encompasses games in both the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the Heineken Champions Cup.

The Stormers face the Glasgow Warriors in what for them is a crucial URC clash on Sunday in Glasgow before they head to London, where they face London Irish in their second Champions Cup away match the following Sunday.

Second row is one area where the Stormers are a bit thin at moment due to a freakish run of injuries in that position and coach John Dobson, though delighted with his team completing the 2022 year unbeaten at home, admitted some concern over Orie after the 40-8 win over the Emirates Lions on New Year’s Eve. At the time Dobson was talking, Orie still had to pass an HIA test in order to be available to tour.

“We’ve got really thin at lock and if we have any more issues there we might have to look at bolstering our resources,” said Dobson. “If Marvin were to fail his test it’ll be a challenge for us.”

It will be a challenging enough trip as it is for the Stormers, as Glasgow are as confident as they are following two excellent derby wins over Edinburgh that have propelled them to the top of the Scottish/Italian conference, while London Irish were feisty in the first round Champions Cup game in Cape Town even though they ended up losing by 20 points.

To do so without their go-too man in the lineouts would have made it even tougher, particularly as Gary Porter, the man who’d lead the lineout in the absence of Orie, is still out with the rib injury he sustained in the opening Cup game against Clermont-Auvergne.

MILLER AND KHAN GET FIRST TOURS

To shore up his lock resources, Dobson has called up the highly promising young Maties lock/loose-forward Simon Miller for his first potential role for the Stormers at this level of the game. Miller is joined by another highly talented young player, scrumhalf Imad Khan, in making his first tour as a Stormer.

While the likes of Evan Roos, Ruhan Nel, Frans Malherbe, Porter, Herschel Jantjies and Nama Xaba join long term injury absentees Salmaan Moerat, Adre Smith, Nama Xaba and Seabelo Senatla in not touring, there is some movement on the positive side of the balance sheet with the return of Junior Springbok star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu from his own injury problems.

Also back in the mix for the first time this season is Stefan Ungerer, the former Sharks, Southern Kings and Griquas star scrumhalf, which is just as well given that Godlen Masimla, who was back-up scrumhalf against the Lions, has been listed among the players unavailable to tour. With Jantjies also still out, that might have been problematic, but Ungerer’s return is timeous in an additional sense - he is also a player tailored for the conditions the Stormers might encounter over the next two weeks because of his strong kicking game.

DOBSON HAPPY WITH NEW YEAR PERFORMANCE

Dobson was pleased with his team’s win over the Lions, and wrote some of the less impressive parts of what turned into a scrappy performance off to a desire to enter into the festive spirit by going for all-out entertainment.

“The guys scored some great tries although maybe once or twice we were a bit loose with the ball, but it’s New Year’s Eve and you’re in the lead and you want to entertain the crowd,” said Dobson at the post-match press conference.

“Our breakdown probably wasn’t the same standard from the last couple weeks but generally, it was a pretty good performance. I’m just pleased we scored some tries and built on those from last week [against the Vodacom Bulls] – it would’ve been horrible to come here and win 9-6 in a drudge.

“To be where we are, gone over a year without defeat in Cape Town, these players are so resilient and keep coming; we can be accused of making mistakes or of getting things wrong, but never of not turning up or playing with pride and passion.

“In terms of the URC we’ve got Glasgow and Ulster away and if we want to get that home playoff we’re going to have to win one of those, and that’s tough. And in the Champions Cup, we’ve got London Irish away, and that’s tough too. The Springboks like Steven (Kitshoff) won’t be playing at Ulster, which makes next weekend’s game hell of an important.”

DHL STORMERS TOUR SQUAD

BACKS: Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids, Paul de Wet, Dan du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Sulieman Hartzenberg, Imad Khan, Manie Libbok, Stefan Ungerer, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas.

FORWARDS: Hacjivah Dayimani, Ben-Jason Dixon, Joseph Dweba, Willie Engelbrecht, Connor Evans, Neethling Fouche, Deon Fourie, Brok Harris, Steven Kitshoff, JJ Kotze, Simon Miller, Marvin Orie, Junior Pokomela, Sazi Sandi, Marcel Theunissen, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ali Vermaak.

NOT AVAILABLE: Jean-Luc du Plessis, Herschel Jantjies, Alapati Leuia, Frans Malherbe, Godlen Masimla, Salmaan Moerat, Ruhan Nel, Scarra Ntubeni, Gary Porter, Evan Roos, Seabelo Senatla, Adre Smith, Ernst van Rhyn, Nama Xaba.