Springboks can’t get back soon enough for Stormers

The Stormers can’t get their Springbok stars back on the field soon enough after a dreadful European tour sees them languishing firmly in the bottom half of the table after six rounds of this seasons United Rugby Championship (URC).

The Cape side has set monstrously high standards for themselves over the first two editions of the competition, hosting both finals while winning the first and finishing runner-up in the second.

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They have thus been playing nowhere near that level so far this season, with their two wins and four losses leaving them in 12^th place on the log and currently the second lowest performing South African team with only the struggling Sharks below them.

It has been a combination of their travel woes, which plagued them over the first two URC seasons as well, a number of injuries and being without their Springbok stars that seems to have cost the Stormers so far.

So they will be thrilled to be welcoming at least two World Cup winners back to the fold for just their second home match of the season against Zebre this coming weekend.

“We will have some personnel back, we will play some games at home, we have already had five games on the road. So we will start putting together some much better performances,” claimed Stormers coach John Dobson.

“We will have Manie and Damian back this week. Flyhalf is an area we have really struggled with and that will give us a few more options.”

Prop Frans Malherbe and utility forward Deon Fourie may both also be available for the match, with Dobson explaining that Fourie will be joining up with them a few days late due to his father passing away.

Hard look

Some of the Stormers players will however need to take a long hard look at themselves as many of them have been underperforming on their European tour that saw them lose 20-9 to Glasgow Warriors, 20-17 to Benetton, 10-3 to Munster and 31-24 to Cardiff.

After their most recent loss, against Cardiff in Wales, Dobson was asked if some of the players were lacking commitment to the team and if their places could be in jeopardy.

“As a collective, we haven’t done ourselves any favours on tour. I don’t think the competition thinks more of us. I don’t think some of the players or staff feel good about themselves,” explained Dobson.

“There are different elements to commitment. Are the guys putting everything on the line and making a big effort, yes I believe they are.

“Then there is the commitment of sticking to the plan and looking after the ball, which is another element to it and that’s probably the piece that is missing. I suppose there are certain guys who need to smarten up certain elements of their game.”