More lock(down) pain for Stormers

Emerging from lockdown to establish themselves as the pre-eminent team in South Africa, the Stormers now have to come to terms with a different sort of "lock down".

The Cape side travel to Europe for their clashes against Glasgow Warriors (United Rugby Championship) and London Irish (Champions Cup) with several locks, and those capable of playing in that position if needed, stricken by injury.

Salmaan Moerat (knee surgery), Adre Smith (foot), Gary Porter (rib) and Ernst van Rhyn (ankle) are unavailable, while matters could be compounded should Marvin Orie be declared off limits as well.

Coach John Dobson has admitted it will be a challenge for the Stormers should the Springbok fail his head injury assessment.

Lock, though, is not the only position where they have players down. Frans Malherbe, Ruhan Nel, Herschel Jantjies, Scarra Ntubeni, Seabelo Senatla and Nama Xaba are all staying home.

“There are some experienced players missing through injury, but we are excited to see what the players coming in can offer and look forward to the chance for the squad to grow and learn on tour together,” Dobson told the team's website.

“We have two tough games in conditions vastly different to what we have experienced at home in the past month, so this will be a real test for us.”

On the plus side, the Stormers will have Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Stefan Ungerer available again after they recovered from injury.

As was the case in their match against the Lions, the Stormers have cause to go full throttle this week. They will be without key personnel later in the month and need to rake in the points while they can put their best foot forward.

But, like the Stormers, Glasgow are on a roll. They've won five matches on the trot, including crucial derby wins over the past two weekends.

Moreover, coach Franco Smith would have devised distinct strategies on how to neutralise players with whom he is familiar.

One of the players Smith will be particularly familiar with is Junior Pokomela, who played under him at the Cheetahs between 2017 and 2019.

Clearly the coach had made an impression. “He has turned Glasgow about and they’re playing brilliant rugby,” Pokomela said. “I watched their two games against Edinburgh and they played so well.”

Glasgow have started to play with the freedom and élan often associated with team's under Smith's tutelage.

“They’re a free-flowing team but I can imagine with the weather conditions he sometimes can’t play the way he would like to play, because Franco is a coach who likes to attack and play quick ball.

“So we’ll prepare well and do our homework and make sure we’re ready for them.”

Pokomela has mostly impressed in Stormers' colours, but holding down a regular starting spot has proved difficult. The Stormers are particularly well stocked in that department, not that Pokomela is complaining.

“Competition from 1 to 15 is crazy, especially in the loose forwards,” he noted.

“You’ve got Brannas [Fourie], Hacjivah, Evan [Roos], Willie [Engelbrecht], Marcel [Theunissen]. The depth is unbelievable.

“So the competition is healthy and you have to be on your toes and keep pushing at the door. I’m happy I get to play each week and contribute to the team where I can. I’m blessed.

“A guy like Brannas, 36 years old and still playing his best rugby, I feed off him and get to learn every day from these guys.”

Stormers touring squad:

Forwards: Hacjivah Dayimani, Ben-Jason Dixon, Joseph Dweba, Willie Engelbrecht, Connor Evans, Neethling Fouche, Deon Fourie, Brok Harris, Steven Kitshoff, JJ Kotze, Simon Miller, Marvin Orie, Junior Pokomela, Sazi Sandi, Marcel Theunissen, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ali Vermaak.

Backs: Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids, Paul de Wet, Dan du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Imad Khan, Manie Libbok, Stefan Ungerer, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas.

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