Return of star players aiding Stormers' depth development

The DHL Stormers are in a completely different space now to where they were when they returned from England after a big defeat in their previous Investec Champions game and as it turns out the drubbing received at the hands of Harlequins may not have been in vain.

The difference in the Stormers performance in dispatching Sale Sharks 40-0 in their third round clash in the prestigious European competition from the one produced at The Stoop was marked, and it is not difficult to figure out why. In mid-December the Stormers were still awaiting the return of injured top players and their injury list was deep enough to impact on the quality of the under-strength squad that faced Harlequins.

Instead of it being a proper second string side, like the one that pushed a strong Leicester Tigers team all the way at Welford Road the previous December, it was more of a third or even fourth string combination. The side that scored six tries against the Gallagher Premiership team at DHL Stadium at the weekend had many of the star players back, and yet there was also an element of rotation and experimentation about coach John Dobson’s selection.

ROCHE BUILT ON HIS STOOP CAMEO

Why the effort expended against Harlequins in defeat was not in vain was because it was that game that gave us the first glimpse of centre Jonathan Roche in a Stormers jersey. The 21-year-old came on shortly before the end and produced an impressive cameo, featuring in the Stormers try completed by 19-year-old JC Mars that allowed that young and inexperienced Stormers team to at least end the game on a positive note.

That game also saw Wandisile Simelane play his first full game for the Stormers in ages, and he showed some good touches, while Stefan Ungerer was at scrumhalf and also got some valuable game time. All three of those players featured against Sale, and they did enough to add to Dobson’s enthusiasm about the road ahead for his team.

“I thought Jonathan was really solid in his first start for us. A year ago he was playing Varsity Cup and I have to admit that I played a role in not offering him a contract with the Stormers initially, so I am clearly not Doc Craven (when it comes to talent spotting),” grinned Dobson afterwards.

“He’s really surprised us with how quickly he has developed. Wandy was also really good, as was Stefan at scrumhalf. At centre we have Ruhan (Nel) coming back from injury next week, and Dan du Plessis is also back shortly, but I have to admit I am going to be busy tonight (Saturday) as we have a selection meeting for the tour that may go on a bit. I have quite a bit to think about now.”

WANDISILE’S FORM INTRODUCES DILEMMA AT OUTSIDE CENTRE

Roche did look like he belongs at a higher level, and Simelane showed against both Harlequins and Sale that he’s now settling well into the Stormers pattern and is starting to show the ability as a senior player that he promised as a junior.

That might be seen as a bonus by Dobson, for as he admitted, the precociously talented Suleiman Hartzenberg, who was outstanding on the wing against Sale, is also very eager to make the planned transition into his preferred position of outside centre. Hartzenberg is seen as the future in the Stormers No 13, but Simelane has improved his defence and is now adding his old edge back to his attacking game.

The fact that the attacking orientated Roche and Simelane formed the Stormers midfield on a rare day where defence coach Norman Laker was forced to start looking for spare cash to spend on donuts for the playing team, something he does when the Stormers complete rugby’s version of soccer’s clean sheet, should have been another big positive for Dobson.

The success achieved by the newer players in the group playing in a team with a much more settled spine to it than the one that played at the Stoop a month ago has also given Dobson reason to ponder.

“We have been thinking about that,” said Dobson when it was put to him that introducing new players into a settled team with experienced combinations in it gave youngsters and new players a much better chance of producing their best performances.

“We may be adjusting our policy when it comes to those kind of games (where the Stormers go under-strength) because it does make more sense from a player development aspect (to introduce them into a stronger, stable team than an inexperienced one).”

WILL GIVE IT BEST SHOT AGAINST RACING

Dobson might be partially implementing that practice this week, when the Stormers go to Paris to play their final Champions Cup group game against Racing 92. The Stormers have played themselves into having a chance of advancing to the round of 16, something they had written off when they lost their first match at home to Toulon in December, and Dobson says his men will give it their best shot.

But he also described the URC as “our day job”, meaning that there is a sense of there being nothing to lose against Racing, which will be seen as a buildup to an arguably much more important URC clash with Leinster in Dublin the following Saturday.

“The game against Leinster will be played a week before the start of the Six Nations so we see an opportunity for ourselves there and we will be going all out to win it with a full strength team. We drew with Leinster in Dublin a few years ago but that game was played at the RDS Arena. We will be playing this game at the AVIVA Stadium, our first visit there, and we are looking forward to that experience.”

Dobson won’t be experimenting too much against Racing, at least not in the sense that they did against Harlequins for they will only take 28 players on tour, and the team make up may not be dissimilar to that employed against Sale, where hitherto injured players Ben Loader and Sti Sithole were also successfully reintroduced into the playing mix.

“Ruhan Nel will be back next week, Seabelo Senatla will be back next week, Zassy (Leolin Zas) will be up for selection next week,” Dobson confirmed.

Springbok utility backs Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are still out, Willemse until March although he has started running again as he recovers from a groin injury, while Dobson is hoping that Feinberg-Mngomezulu will have recovered from his shoulder injury by the time the Vodacom Bulls come to town for the home north/south derby on 8 February.

With all these players coming back, and don’t forget Evan Roos also made a successful return from injury against Sale and fellow Bok Ben-Jason Dixon was just being rested, the Stormers are certainly in a very different and more positive space than they were this time last month.