CONFIRMED: Stormers' Bok duo head home

SQUAD UPDATE: Springbok duo Herschel Jantjies and Damian Willemse will return to South Africa, following the Stormers’ win over Zebre at the weekend.

Willemse and Jantjies started in the United Rugby Championship Round Four match in Parma, where the Stormers recorded a 37-20 win.

The pair have yet to enjoy some rest, following the three-test match Series against Wales and the Rugby Championship with the Springboks.

The duo will miss the rest of the tour – which included matches against Ospreys and Cardiff in Wales.

“Herschel [Jantjies] and Damian [Willemse] will be heading home,” Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman confirmed

“It is the rest their need to get after being involved with the Wales series and Rugby Championship for the Springboks.”

Snyman revealed that Clayton Blommetjies will join the squad after getting married at the weekend.

In terms of injuries, hooker Chad Solomons will undergo an assessment to determent the severity of his injury.

Solomons came on as a replacement hooker, but was forced to leave the field after sustaining a bicep injury.

However, Jean-Jacques Kotze will join the side as a backup hooker.

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Focus area

The Stormers have been in great form, extending their unbeaten run to 14 matches in Italy this past Saturday.

The performance might not have been as clinical, however, the URC title-holders still managed to secure a bonus-point win over a quality Zebre outfit.

The team scored four tries, however, it was the defence that helped them keep their unbeaten start of the season intact said Snyman.

“Defence was definitely one of our focus areas,”  Snyman said.

“We knew Zebre is quite a dangerous team if you give them the opportunity, and we did really well to shut them down.

“We never felt we were in trouble defensively, so in terms of that great performance.

“However there are other areas where there is still a little bit of work for us.

“We never quite got going how we wanted but was probably just the flow of the game which was a little bit of a set-piece and defensive battle.”

The Stormers will now head to Wales to face the Ospreys on Saturday.

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