Stormers boss admits selection 'concern' for North-South derby
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson has explained his decision to put Paul de Villiers on the bench for Saturday’s North-South derby against the Bulls.
Dobson sprang a surprise when he gave Ruan Ackermann the No.6 jersey for the match in Cape Town.
The 22-year-old De Villiers has been outstanding in that openside flank position, and he has racked up several man-of-the-match awards due to his work at the breakdowns.
“Paul and Evan [Roos] have crazy game time numbers, and we are just watching how teams are targeting them now,” said Dobson.
“We just thought that when they are a bit tired, our bench has got us out [of trouble] and we wanted to keep some impact.
“I think Paul, with the way he carries, his breakdown selection is a bit looser, he will do massive damage in [the last] 35 [minutes].
“What we do like about Ruan [Ackermann] is his stopping power. We know the Bulls are a team with the most contact metres, and he is really good in maul defence, so that is the logic.”
Dobson admits that the shuffle in that position is a risk.
“It is a concern. We have done that before, where we played Marcel [Theunissen] or Willie [Engelbrecht] at No.6, and we don’t put the defensive breakdown under pressure,” Dobson explained.
“You then play through multiphase rugby, and you give away a penalty.
“You can get the turnovers with dominant tackles. It’s not like-for-like, and that’s a fair concern.
“It is a concern, but the upside is a fresh Paul de Villiers with 35 minutes is going to be pretty exciting.”
@rugby365com
