Stormers’ strong start means Bok return doesn’t need to be rushed

DHL Stormers coach Norman Laker said his team’s trio of triumphant Springboks were still in London celebrating the Castle Lager Rugby Championship victory, but will be moving to Wales to meet their franchise squad upon arrival.


The Stormers flew out on Monday night for a three-match Vodacom United Rugby Championship tour, which starts in Wales with a match against the Scarlets in Llanelli and then proceeds to Italy, where they will face Zebre and Benetton. Newcomer Cobus Reinach, who was the starting scrumhalf for the Boks in their last few Championship games, will be joining up with the Stormers for those games, along with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse.

The international break then follows before the Stormers resume their campaign at the end of November against Munster in Limerick, so the next four Stormers games will be played north of the equator, and those clashes could make or break the Cape side’s quest for a top four finish. Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has already spoken of his eagerness to get the Bok trio into action, but according to defence coach Norman Laker, a lot will hinge on how the players who have done well for the Stormers in the first two rounds are feeling when they arrive in the UK.

“The guys who have been in the seat (in the absence of the Boks) have done extremely well,” said Laker.

Indeed, Jurie Matthee has made a strong start to the season at flyhalf, and his game is suited to northern conditions. So the Stormers can perhaps afford to give Feinberg-Mngomezulu a break after he played two consecutive test matches (he actually started three in succession but left the field early in the big win over the All Blacks in Wellington).

Willemse, of course, can play inside centre as well as fullback, which was why Laker mentioned the players he did when pinpointing who had done well.

“Guys like Wandi (Wandesile Simelane), Dan du Plessis, Ruhan (Nel) as well as Jurie have been going strong,” the defence coach said.

“But it also gives us options (to get the Boks back in the selection mix). Some of the guys might be hurt after the first two games, nursing injuries, and we will know after we arrive there how they feel after the flight and then assess. So there is a possibility we could swap around, or we could keep a similar team to the one that played the last two weekends (and reintegrate the Boks the following week).

The names mentioned by Laker as having done well cues the subject of one of the big gains from the two rounds when the Boks were absent - just like the Boks when their coach Rassie Erasmus rotates his selections, the exercise of fitting different players into different positions over the past few weeks has boosted options and depth.

For instance, Damian Willemse would normally be earmarked to play fullback against the Scarlets if Warrick Gelant is still absent, but his utility value means he can play inside centre. Where, as Laker says, Du Plessis has been good. And Simelane, after doing well at fullback, will have the confidence to go back to outside centre, his regular position, should Nel need a rest.

Willemse is along with Feinberg-Mngomezulu also a flyhalf option, but Matthee has done well enough in the first two weeks to continue there should Dobson decide the Bok starting flyhalf over the last three Championship games should rest this week before making his return the following week in Italy.