Ahmed to stake his claim in Edinburgh
OPINION: In the team-sports sphere, one player’s injury is another’s opportunity, and Yaqeen Ahmed possibly has a big one on Friday.
Stormers boss John Dobson has made it clear that Jurie Matthee is currently their incumbent at flyhalf, but Ahmed has an opportunity to stake his claim in their United Rugby Championship Round Two match against Edinburgh.
The Capetonians will conclude their two-match European tour at Hive Stadium after securing a bonus-point win over Connacht in Galway in Round One.
Matthee was the starting No.10 in Scotland but suffered an ankle injury in the 15-29 victory, and with Springboks Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse unavailable, Ahmed is likely to start in Edinburgh.
While the severity of Matthee’s injury is unclear, he returned to Cape Town to receive treatment, along with loose forwards Evan Roos (hamstring) and Marcel Theunissen (calf).
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who started in all four Tests of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series and came off the bench against the Wallabies, may run out against the Sharks.
His recent run of Tests and involvement in the upcoming Nations Championship in November may, however, mean that he’s due a break.
*Also read: All Blacks ‘rub-off’ effect for SA’s URC franchises
While Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the No.10 position locked down and the Stormers may opt to bring in more cover at flyhalf in Matthee’s absence, the opening can give the former Junior Springbok star a valuable extended run in the big league.
He was exceptional for the Junior Boks, with his goal-kicking securing back-to-back World Championship titles.
But it was more than his efforts off the tee that had many a pundit anticipating a Springbok debut in the not-too-distant future; his calm game management, ace decision-making, defence, and tactical kicking all played a major role in the team’s unprecedented success.
He looked right at home in his Stormers debut against the All Blacks in the opening match of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, displaying maturity beyond his 20 years.
Continues below…
Pressure seemed non-existent, and you’d never have guessed that he was going up against a 144-Test veteran, two-time World Player of the Year, and the man who inspired his game, Beauden Barrett. He did not merely go up against him; he outplayed him on the day.
While Matthee has earned his place in the Stormers’ flyhalf pecking order, Ahmed has established himself as a young star with a big future. And he can build on that against Edinburgh.
The Stormers will be hunting their first win in Scotland in six attempts, while both teams will be aiming to make it two-out-of-two after last weekend’s results.
Ahmed may not overtake Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the Stormers pecking order anytime soon, but he can certainly make a statement and gain valuable experience in tough European conditions.
Edinburgh will look to bring another fast start and build on the knife-like attack they unveiled against Ulster after the arrival of a new attack coach, while the Stormers look to triumph on a 4G pitch again.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s position as the first-choice Bok flyhalf will see him unavailable for the Stormers at certain stages of the season, and Matthee’s injury-enforced absence can give Ahmed a gap to chase the “incumbent” status he holds when Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on Bok duty or a mandatory rest period.
Edinburgh will bring the fast, expansive challenge, and if Ahmed gets a starting shot, he can start building his case by conducting the Stormers to not only keep a lid on the hosts, but also inflict damage of their own from No.10 with his rich skill set.
