The DHL Stormers will keep Edinburgh guessing about which Springboks they might face when the two sides clash in a third round Vodacom United Rugby match at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Boks have returned to their provinces at the end of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship season and they are all available to play in the URC this weekend. According to assistant coach Rito Hlungwani, they were also all present when the Stormers started training on Monday as the preparations for Saturday’s game began.
That means that skipper Steven Kitshoff, tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, lock Salmaan Moerat, scrumhalf Hershel Jantjies, flank Deon Fourie and hooker Joseph Dweba are all available to play, with there being a question mark over Damian Willemse, who is still busy with his concussion protocols following his injury in Buenos Aires nine days ago.
“Damian is busy with his protocols, and like most of the Boks he is back in training, but we will see how it goes as he is still busy with his return to play tests,” said Hlungwani.
“We should have an answer over Damian’s availability tomorrow (Tuesday). The Boks are being reintegrated back into the squad in training and we need to see how that goes before we decide who plays and who doesn’t. Some of the guys haven’t played for quite a while.”
Of course, the Boks also haven’t taken part in the Stormers’ pre-season games, so the Stormers forward coach is right - it isn’t just a case of deciding the Boks are back so therefore they play. Many a team has tripped up in various competitions over the years because it has been rushed back to what is assumed to be a full-strength team without giving the players enough time to gel back into their combinations in training. For some players, such as Kitshoff and Malherbe, there is the question of the big workload they’ve carried during the international season, with both players being involved in all the test matches the Boks played in the southern hemisphere international season with the exception of the Bloemfontein game against Wales, where coach Jacques Nienaber went with an alternative team.
Willemse, although he missed the Durban Rugby Championship decider against Argentina, has also had a busy international season. The Boks go on tour five weeks from now so it makes sense for the players to keep playing so they can retain sharpness, but it wouldn’t pay for them to play in all the games.
However, with Edinburgh being one of the tougher opponents the Stormers face in this block of the URC season, there might be a temptation on the part of coach Dobson to go what he will probably refer to as “Full Metal Jacket” by selecting what he considers his best team.
The only Stormers injury doubt is wing Seabelo Senatla, who is having the pectoral/bicep injury sustained in the unlawful Bundee Aki cleanout that led to the Ireland international being red carded, assessed by specialists. He is highly unlikely to play against Edinburgh and could be ruled out of rugby for some time.
Fortunately for the Stormers one of the stars of last season before he was injured in the semifinal against Ulster, Leolin Zas, is back from injury and training with the team. Chris Hollis, who moved to the Stormers from Griquas in the offseason, could also be in the mix to play in Senatla’s place, while Suileman Hartzenberg, who played centre against Connacht, is also very useful on the wing.