Allrounder Theunissen is becoming a key player for Stormers

When the DHL Stormers were struggling earlier in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign, the name Hacjivah Dayimani was one of those that hung like a ghost over the discourse.

Last season in the early stages it was the experience, steadiness and leadership of Dan du Plessis, out until injury until Christmas in the 2023/2024 season, who appeared to be the missing piece of the jigsaw.

This year it was Dayimani, departed for France, who together with the then injured fellow loose-forward Evan Roos, who was keenly missed through the months from late September through to the latter part of December.

That has changed, and not only because the injection of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sensational abilities at flyhalf has reignited and added another dimension to the danger the Stormers pose to opponents with their attacking game, which means Dayimani’s X-factor as an explosive linking looseforward has been less keenly felt.

The truth behind the rugby saying, so often used that it has become a cliche among coaches and assistants, that when a player departs or is ruled out it has the positive counterbalance of offering another player an opportunity has been proven true by the progress Marcel Theunissen has made this season.

NEVER LET HIS TEAM DOWN IN THE PAST

In fairness, the 25-year-old has always been regarded as a talent. And he’s never let the Stormers down when used in the past. Often used as an openside in his initial forays into senior franchise rugby, Theunissen did play some great games as a No8 when Roos and Dayimani were absent in previous seasons.

So much so that there was understood to have been debate among the coaches at some point about who really was the better option off the back of the scrum when Roos (and Keke Morabe) were out injured.

After a stellar performance in a Stormers win at Loftus two seasons ago that certainly appeared a toss up, but right now you’d get a lot of takers if you suggested that if Dayimani returned to the Stormers, he’d find his way into the first choice team blocked.

That’s not to say that Theunissen himself is an established first choice player who will wear the No7 forever and ever, for let’s not forget that the reason he is getting an extended run in the starting team as opposed to his previous role of being just an occasional starter and a more regular impact sub is because of the injury to Ben-Jason Dixon.

Dixon is a Springbok, and the different skill set and hard edge he brings as a more traditional South African style blindside flank might have added to the Stormers’ confidence that they can beat Glasgow Warriors in Friday night’s URC quarterfinal at the Scotstoun.

In a physical playoff game a player like Dixon is gold, and there were many who felt Stormers coach John Dobson made a mistake by not selecting him into the starting team ahead of Dayimani when the Cape side hosted Munster in the 2023 final, when the Cape Town weather and the condition of the field counted against the attacking game Dayimani is renowned for.

But here’s what makes Theunissen so valuable to the Stormers - he is many things rolled into one. Not only is he a player who can play in all back row positions, he also appears to be one of those who can adapt to requirements.

He is brilliant in the loose, loves playing with the ball in hand, but can also excel at a tighter game and doesn’t appear to need extra schooling in how to grind, like Dyamani did, when that becomes necessary.

QUALITY OF LINEOUT WORK HAS SURPRISED

One of the aspects of his game that has particularly caught the attention during a run where he has challenged strongly for man of the match awards on those days when he hasn’t officially been acknowledged as such is his lineout work.

Dixon and Dayimani certainly aren’t being missed when it comes to that phase of play, for Theunissen has been expertly reprising their role as a lineout jumping No7.

“I like lineouts a lot and I like both contesting lineouts and being part of an attacking lineout,” said Theunissen earlier his week from Glasgow where he is preparing for Friday’s season-defining quarterfinal against the URC champions.

“I feel I have a good understanding of the lineouts. I must compliment the guys around me for that. Salmaan (Moerat), Ruben (van Heerden) and JD (Schickerling) spend a lot of time together analysing the other team’s lineout and I sit with them. The knowledge that comes out of that helps to make me look good.”

Rather than being surprised by it, it is that Theunissen’s lineout work has become a talking point that most appears to surprise Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani, who coached the Grey College product at age-group level.

“I was first exposed to Marcel when I coached him when he was under-19, after he came to us from Grey via Stellenbosch,” said Hlungwani.

“Marcel actually played lock for us at under-19 level. What makes him good is the amount of speed he has in leaving the ground and his ability to maintain posture. He is really good at that, and that ability of his equalises any height advantage other players may have on him.

If you get Marcel jumping with the speed he has, with the help of the guys lifting him he can compete with any lineout any lineout in the world.

“I am very proud of what he has achieved but also very excited about what more he can do. He sets high standards for himself and we set high standards for him so we still want to see him improving more. He can get better and better.”

LIKES BALL CARRYING ROLE

He has done that this season, with a bit of help from the fact that he has played most of his rugby this year in a ball carrying position and less in the No6 jersey that he used to fill when the likes of Deon Fourie and Nama Xaba (when he was with the Stormers) were injured.

“I do prefer to play No7 or No8 as you get more opportunities to carry and I do like to run with the ball,” Theunissen confirmed.

Theunissen was not asked that hoary old question about whether he wants to be a Springbok, as of course every South African professional player does and it should go without saying.

But he is enjoying playing with and competing against international quality players, and Friday night’s game, given it’s importance and the quality of players in the Glasgow line-up, offers an opportunity to continue his upward trend as one of this country’s most promising loose-forwards.

“I have played against them (Glasgow) before and they are good players so it is a great opportunity for us to give our best and see where we are in comparison to guys like Rory Darge etc. A game like this offers a good chance for us to make a statement.”

The Stormers have a poor record at the Scotstoun, where they have yet to win, but Theunissen doesn’t believe the Cape players’ unfamiliarity with artificial surfaces, which is part of the reason for their poor record overseas, will play a role this time around.

“A lot of the guys have played quite a bit on 4g surfaces now so it is not new to us and I don’t think it will play a big role. We know the pitches now and understand the momentum aspect that comes in on those surfaces,” he said.

NEED TO BE ON POINT EVERYWHERE AGAINST GLASGOW

When it comes to Glasgow, they are champions for a reason, and Theunissen reckons a Stormers win will require them to be on point in every aspect of their play.

“Glasgow are a very balanced team. They compete in the scrums, where they are really strong, and they also have a particularly strong maul,” he said.

“In the backline they have a lot of strike runners, like Sione Tuipoluto, and they have pace on the wings. So going into this game it is very important to understand that everything has to be in top shape and what we are working on needs to be executed effectively.

“They are not a team where you can target one aspect of their game as a weakness to exploit. We must be on our game, in every aspect, in open play and at the breakdowns. We can’t be off. We need to be on in every aspect of our game. We must do our work and work as a unit if we want the victory.”

The Stormers lost to Glasgow at the same venue this time last year but Theunissen says that and the recent Glasgow performance against Leinster in Dublin, where they pressed the log winners until the final minutes, have not been a particular focus for the Stormers when analysing their opponents.

“We haven’t looked too much into Glasgow versus Leinster, instead we are focusing on their season in general in looking for aspects of the game where we might have an opportunity,” concluded the Bloemfontein born flanker.