Stormers get Bok boost but loss of Neethling is problematic

The DHL Stormers came up just one point short of making it a perfect first two rounds of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, but when you are a South African coach in the tough intercontinental competition, there is invariably some curveball to ruin the mood.

The one point missed out on was the bonus point for scoring four tries that looked there to be grabbed when the Stormers crossed the line for the third time in their 26-10 win over the Ospreys at DHL Stadium. They got a full house the week before when they beat Leinster 35-0 in their opening match of the 2025/2026 campaign.

That missed point might prove a crucial difference in the quest for a place in the top four or the top eight later in the competition, but there is a reason why it is called a bonus, so for Dobson, the more pressing concern will be the injury that looks to have robbed him of his stalwart tighthead prop Neethling Fouche.

On Friday night, Dobson already feared the worst, but it was confirmed by the Springbok front row forward on Monday when he posted an X-ray on Instagram showing a broken arm. He said he would be consigned to being one of the Stormers’ faithful supporters for the foreseeable future.

While the Stormers might appreciate that support, they’d obviously prefer to have him on the field, particularly as their other Bok tighthead, Frans Malherbe, doesn’t look like returning to the field any time soon, if at all, as he continues to try to recover from a troublesome back injury.

Wilco Louw, who is surely now the world’s finest scrummaging tighthead in the absence of Malherbe, will bolster the Stormers’ front row stocks next season, but for now, there is a hole to fill. Sazi Sandi has an opportunity to grow into the position after appearing in the Stormers No. 3 jersey sporadically, while it could also be an opportunity for last year’s Junior Springbok captain, Zachary Porthen.

The youngster made his debut for the Stormers towards the end of last season, and as his position is one where players tend to mature later, it was anticipated he’d have to wait a while before getting regular game time. However, according to sources close to the camp, Porthen has surprised with how quickly he has progressed, just like the impressive loosehead Vernon Matongo, who was again excellent against the Ospreys.

STRUGGLED AT THE BREAKDOWNS

The Stormers were sluggish at the start against the Welsh team and conceded an early try, and although they did well in the tight phases, they struggled at the breakdowns. Paul de Villiers in particular made a noticeable difference when he came on in the second half, while Stefan Ungerer showed, as a replacement, that, with Cobus Reinach set to make his Stormers debut shortly, the Cape franchise is well covered at halfback.

Dobson said that his three Bok backline players who were on duty in the starting team in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship decider at the weekend will all be joining up with the Stormers this week - it is just a question of whether he will be able to play them straight away or not as all three of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian de Allende and Cobus Reinach have been involved in the last three matches the Boks have played.

“We’ll have a few national players linking up with us after the test at Twickenham,” said the Stormers coach.

“They’re available, and I’m sure the temptation to play them will be strong. We need to get wins on the road, and having them back will be a massive boost.”

The Stormers kick off their tour in Wales against the Scarlets on Friday, followed by a double-header in Italy against Zebre and Benetton.

The Stormers were to train in Cape Town on Monday before flying out in the evening, a situation that Dobson considered short of ideal but perhaps necessary given that this will be a three-match tour - meaning there has to be a balance between preparation and recovery.

“The conditions (against the Ospreys) were useful for us because that’s the kind of rugby we’ll have to play up north. We will need to play tough, grind-it-out rugby,” he said.

There are a few other players not involved with the Boks currently who should be returning shortly, among them former Sharks loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu, who has spent the off-season recovering from injury, and fullback Warrick Gelant. In both cases, the players who have fronted in their positions in the last two weeks have done well.

In the case of Matongo that wasn’t surprising, but Wandesile Simelane has been a revelation at fullback in Gelant’s absence.

“I’m thrilled for Wandi. He’s such a good kid and has worked really hard off the ball. He’s had to wait for his chance, and I’m very happy for him. He’s put so much into the team environment.”

Although Simelane played there for the Bulls, fullback is not considered his preferred position as it has been at centre that he has built his reputation.