Head coach John Dobson admits this week’s Stormers lineup hasn’t been together for long, but is confident even the returning Springboks are on board with the mission.
Dobson has named a match-day 23 with 11 Springboks and a possible debut for Haashim Pead for Saturday’s URC clash against the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium.
Seven Boks will play their first match for the club this season, including prop Wilco Louw, who is set to make his first appearance in Stormers colours since 2020.
Flanker Paul de Villiers makes his return which sees Siya Kolisi move to blindside, while the 40-year-old Deon Fourie provides hooker and loose forward cover.
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Dobson has gone with his strongest side available, apart from the injured Cheslin Kolbe, describing selection as relatively straightforward in the backline but debate around the composition of the loose trio and bench.
“On cohesion, the guys have fitted in,” Dobson told reporters on Wednesday. “We got them in for separate sessions before and aligned them with our game plan. There was a clear message that they’re going to fit into the Stormers way. That part is ticked.
“Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] and Cobus [Reinach] both didn’t play in that Leinster semi-final, so they’re bringing a massive boost. We’ve done our best to align them.
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“But, from a rugby point of view, they didn’t play for us against the All Blacks, like Deon did. So we haven’t played with them for a long time.
“We had our alignment camp on Monday, and the other guys were fully bought in. Wilco walks in and just says, ‘I’m home.’ It just felt absolutely normal, and they were fully engaged.”
Skipper Ruhan Nel said the return of the Boks has created collective leadership and not mixed lines of communication, freeing him up from micro-management.
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Nel believes Kolisi and Fourie – the Bok captains to start and finish the 2023 World Cup final – benefits him and the wider team.
“I’m young in this leadership role,” the veteran centre said. “With such strong leaders around you, I’ve learned a lot from them, especially Siya. They’re big voices with a lot of experience.
“We’re all professionals at the end of the day … I’m not worried about that at all.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post ‘Wilco walks in and says I’m home’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Head coach John Dobson admits this week’s Stormers lineup hasn’t been together for long, but is confident even the returning Springboks are on board with the mission.
The post ‘Wilco walks in and says I’m home’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
