Stormers coach John Dobson welcomed the recovery of several players after a bruising training week that almost decimated the team’s ranks. LINDIZ VAN ZILLA reports.
The Cape side hosts Cardiff in a Vodacom URC quarter-final on Saturday.
Dobson admitted there were nervous moments on Wednesday when a heavy collision between Damian Willemse and Leolin Zas left both players prone on the ground and the coaching staff fearing the worst.
“On Wednesday we were looking at possibly minus five if you looked at Evan [Roos], Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who was ill], obviously the Damian-Zas situation, and then BJ [Ben-Jason Dixon] also had a neck referral,” said Dobson.
“Those things are terrible because it’s not like a normal knock. It could be something serious.
“So it’s a massive relief. Given where we were on Wednesday afternoon, it’s a big, big relief.”
TEAM: Stormers rejig backline for Cardiff clash
The Stormers were also boosted by the return of fit-again captain Ruhan Nel, winger Seabelo Senatla and utility forward Ruan Ackermann (named on the bench).
“I’ve got zero doubts about them,” said Dobson. “Seanatla is a supreme athlete, just sinew and muscle and hardness, and he is always covering ground.”
The Stormers have opted for a 6-2 split on the bench and Dobson said Ackermann could be key to providing a late thrust.
On the risk of only having Stefan Ungerer and Jurie Matthee as backline cover, Dobson said: “If one of the backs goes down early we have got Damian who can play everywhere. Jurie can go to No 10 and Sacha can go anywhere. Immy [scrumhalf Imad Khan] is very comfortable on the wing, so it gives us a little bit of cover.”
DOBBO: Cardiff easiest of the quarter-finals
The Stormers, meanwhile, rowed back on comments Dobson made earlier in the week that Cardiff were the easiest of the quarter-final opponents.
Cardiff beat the Stormers at the Arms Park in the last round of league action to qualify for the playoffs and Nel said having played the Welsh side so recently helped.
“It’s a lot easier in terms of analysis and your workload is not as much,” Nel explained. “By no means did we say Cardiff is an easy team. They beat us and rightly so. They were way better than us.
“It is just from a workload point of view, the players already have a picture in mind. You don’t have to spend as many hours on prep as you would have done if you had faced the team in round three in the URC.
“It’s great because the memory is still fresh from playing them.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post ‘Major relief’ as Stormers stars cleared to play appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Stormers coach John Dobson welcomed the recovery of several players after a bruising training week that almost decimated the team’s ranks.
The post ‘Major relief’ as Stormers stars cleared to play appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
