Stormers to enter Lions den Bok-less?
SPOTLIGHT: The Stormers could travel to Ellis Park without some of their regular Springboks in a crucial Round 12 United Rugby Championship clash.
After suffering back-to-back defeats, the Stormers dropped from No.1 spot on the URC table down to third place, and it has put their challenge for the SA Shield in jeopardy.
The Lions pushed the Stormers to the end when they met in Cape Town last December, when John Dobson’s side had all their Boks available, but it might not be the case this weekend.
Already without Cobus Reinach, who is sidelined until their Round of 16 Champions Cup clash against Toulon following a shoulder operation, the Stormers might have to travel to Johannesburg without Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu due to their Bok resting protocols, according to assistant coach Dawie Snyman.
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“We have individual arrangements with each player,” Snyman said.
“Damian [Willemse] is in the building, but I’m not sure if he is allowed to play. We’ll still have a discussion around that.
“Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] also has an individual arrangement.
“We do respect the amount of rest they need, and we’ll definitely look after them.
“It’s also important for us to have them [available] towards the back end of the competition – being well rested and be ready to take on a full season from their point of view because they must still represent the Boks, which is important.”
Should the playmaking duo be unavailable, it would present a massive opportunity for the likes of Jurie Matthee and Imad Khan, who performed well when afforded an opportunity early in the season when the Boks were unavailable.
Matthee recently signed a contract extension until 2029 and will want to challenge Feinberg-Mngomezulu for the No.10 berth, with the Bok flyhalf having a mixed bag in the two defeats against the Sharks a month ago.
Khan’s growth has been immense this season, and he will have to run the show in the absence of Reinach alongside fellow No.9 Stefan Ungerer.
The Stormers will announce their team on Friday.
