Stormers coach John Dobson didn't sweat the decision to slot Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the starting lineup against the Scarlets this Friday. It's the duo's first dance of the Vodacom URC season, fresh off their Rugby Championship triumph with the Boks.
"Ten and 15 were no-brainers," Dobson declared. "They were already in the UK, we were heading that way, and they were chomping at the bit to play."
"We will pay for it somewhere down the line when we have to give them a bit of a break, but we'll give them a few URC games just to make sure they can have a nice, long break."
Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be commanding the flyhalf position, synergizing with captain Ruhan Nel and Wandisile Simelane in midfield, while Willemse will be covering the fullback terrain. The pack welcomes a fresh front row trio consisting of JJ Kotzé, Sazi Sandi, and Ali Vermaak.
Dobson also spilled the beans on Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach's arrival. Apparently, Reinach had domestic duties to attend to following his move back from France. "I think his wife needed him to hang some pictures since they've just moved to Cape Town and he hasn’t been home," Dobson quipped. "He’ll join us at some point during this tour – definitely for the Benetton game on the 25th."
The Stormers are not just bringing their A-game but also a hefty 6-2 bench split, betting big on their forwards to keep dominating the collisions as seen in their initial home games against Leinster and the Ospreys.
Dobson is confident in the strategy. "Having 14 forwards is useful in that task, because it means you only have two guys playing the full 80 minutes. It just gives you a bit more grunt and power at the end of the game."
As the Stormers gear up to take their home momentum on the road, the rugby world will be watching closely to see if their strategic plays and star-studded lineup will continue to deliver the results they're aiming for.
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Stormers coach John Dobson didn't sweat the decision to slot Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the starting lineup against the Scarlets this Friday. It's the duo's first dance of the Vodacom URC season, fresh off their Rugby Championship triumph with the Boks.
"Ten and 15 were no-brainers," Dobson declared. "They were already in the UK, we were heading that way, and they were chomping at the bit to play."
"We will pay for it somewhere down the line when we have to give them a bit of a break, but we'll give them a few URC games just to make sure they can have a nice, long break."
Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be commanding the flyhalf position, synergizing with captain Ruhan Nel and Wandisile Simelane in midfield, while Willemse will be covering the fullback terrain. The pack welcomes a fresh front row trio consisting of JJ Kotzé, Sazi Sandi, and Ali Vermaak.
Dobson also spilled the beans on Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach's arrival. Apparently, Reinach had domestic duties to attend to following his move back from France. "I think his wife needed him to hang some pictures since they've just moved to Cape Town and he hasn’t been home," Dobson quipped. "He’ll join us at some point during this tour – definitely for the Benetton game on the 25th."
The Stormers are not just bringing their A-game but also a hefty 6-2 bench split, betting big on their forwards to keep dominating the collisions as seen in their initial home games against Leinster and the Ospreys.
Dobson is confident in the strategy. "Having 14 forwards is useful in that task, because it means you only have two guys playing the full 80 minutes. It just gives you a bit more grunt and power at the end of the game."
As the Stormers gear up to take their home momentum on the road, the rugby world will be watching closely to see if their strategic plays and star-studded lineup will continue to deliver the results they're aiming for.