The significance of the return of four Springboks to the selection mix for Saturday’s key Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby against the Emirates Lions is that for the first time in a while DHL Stormers coach John Dobson might face a few selection dilemmas.
We can’t be certain Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and BJ Dixon will all be included in the starting team for the game. Some of them may play off the bench, and when assistant coach Dawie Snyman confirmed earlier in the week that those players were available, he also added that it would depend on how they came through the remaining training sessions.
However, with Salmaan Moerat having returned to action the Investec Champions Cup game against Harlequins, there are in fact five Boks that have been added to the mix (well Dixon shouldn’t really count as he did play the last full strength game) and it does mean that instead of scratching around to fill holes Dobson does have decisions to make.
FOUR QUALITY LOCKS
Let’s start with the one in the second row. The Stormers have the best lineout stats in the URC after six rounds of the competition and a lot of that has been because of the yeoman work done by in particular JC Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden in the lineouts. Dixon has of course been mostly a constant presence too, while Adre Smith has always brought good all round impact from the bench.
As a Springbok and as the team’s regular captain before his injury, there shouldn't be too much debate over Moerat’s inclusion. He played the entire game last week in London and even though it was a losing cause he turned in a busy performance. He appears to be Rassie Erasmus’ choice as the Bok alternative captain when Siya Kolisi isn’t playing, so he has massive standing.
But who makes way? Schickerling has played the No 4 role for most of the season, but he is equally at home at No 5. Van Heerden played mostly as the No 4 lock when Marvin Orie was at the Stormers but has made a successful switch to the middle of the lineout and has become an accomplished lineout leader.
With modern rugby being about 23 against 23 rather than two starting teams of 15 players, perhaps it doesn’t matter. Indeed, forwards coach Rito Hlungwani was onto something when he spoke earlier in the season about the huge benefits the team can derive from having all four accomplished locks - Schickerling, Moerat, Smith and Van Heerden - the 23 man match day squad.
With Malherbe likely to play off the bench against the Lions, and even if he doesn’t then Neethling Fouche is a pretty awesome tighthead impact, that will give the Stormers a proper bomb squad, although their loose-forward resources are still a bit thin now that Keke Morabe has joined Evan Roos on the long term injured list while Louw Nel looked a doubtful starter earlier in the week.
If there is one player who has been missed more than any other this season by the Stormers it is Deon Fourie and the smart money should be on Dobson rushing him back into the starting team, where he will probably be partnered by Dixon on the blindside flank and Marcel Theunissen as the No 8.
The Stormers certainly haven’t been wanting in most aspects of forward play outside of possibly their work at the breakdowns in recent weeks, and a potential starting pack of Ali Vermaak, Joseph Dweba, Malherbe or Fouche, Moerat, Schickerling or Van Heerden, Fourie, Dixon and Theunissen has a very formidable look to it.
DON’T FORGET SACHA CAN PLAY 12
Where the Stormers have been let down has been at the back, where there have been too many errors made and also too often wrong decisions that have backfired, but the almost certain return of Feinberg-Mngomezulu should solve that.
The question is - where should Feinberg-Mngomezulu play? Everyone knows he prefers flyhalf and that is where his future at international level lies, but he is also an excellent inside centre and those who have memories that can go back to the Stormers’ derby win over the Sharks in Durban in February will recall that it was Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s partnership with Jurie Matthee as the No 10 in the crucial flyhalf/inside centre axis that effectively won the Stormers that game.
The looked really good playing together and Matthee did get 80 minutes against Harlequins last week. Where the debate comes in though is that Jean-Luc du Plessis is proving a bit of a godsend to the Stormers this season with his ability to fit in at inside centre. He was excellent in the game against Toulon in particular.
His cousin Dan’s injury has left a hole in the midfield, perhaps even more so the continued absence of Damian Willemse. Wandisile Simelane showed good attacking skills against Harlequins and kept the opposing defence busy when he got the ball but Ruhan Nel will continue at outside centre.
Dobson will no doubt have other ideas but if there is a strong recollection of the aforementioned Durban game it could produce the following starting line-up provided all the players are fit: Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Leolin Zas, Jurie Matthee, Paul de Wet, Marcel Theunissen, BJ Dixon, Deon Fourie, JD Schickerling, Salmaan Moerat, Neethling Fouche/Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak.