Englishman Ben Loader returns to his home country with the Stormers as they take on Northampton Saints. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The Stormers’ trip to England, where they will take on Premiership outfit Northampton Saints in a friendly match on Saturday, is an opportunity for some players to get game time and the rest of the squad to bond.
It has been a long season for the Stormers as they are competing in the United Rugby Championship, where they are in ninth place on the points table with 30 points, after making the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
With some of the regular first-team players with the Springboks in an alignment camp in Cape Town, the Stormers took the bye week at hand as a chance to give those not part of the core group some game time and enjoy the excursion.
“It’s an opportunity for the players that have not played a lot,” said Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman.
“We are a tight squad, that’s one thing Dobbo (head coach John Dobson) drives hard, we are inclusive, and everyone must feel part of it, so it’s an opportunity for us.
“Even though we are travelling; we are spending time with each other, sitting together on the plane and there’s nice conversations. We will use these two days to prep a little bit but to also relax and enjoy ourselves.”
The match, which is set for a 4.30 pm kick-off at Franklin’s Gardens, will see fringe players getting game time to keep sharp ahead of the busy period of the season.
“It’s very important, that’s why when the opportunity came up we didn’t even hesitate to say yes,” said Snyman when asked about the significance of the match against Saints.
“You can train as much as you want to but it’s in a match environment where you learn the most about yourself and what you need to work on. It’s a great opportunity for the players and it’s exciting for us,” he said.
The Stormers line-up on paper looks good, with a mix of experience and youth. The midfield pairing of Dan du Plessis and Wandisile Simelane promises to be exciting.
Snyman elaborated on what they’re expecting to see from Du Plessis and Simelane.
“It’s an exciting one. Wandi has shown a lot of potential with the glimpses we have seen in training and the matches he’s played,” Snyman said.
“We know what Dan can do, so if Dan gets an opportunity to create a little bit for Wandisile and he gets in space, that’s where he’s strong. Hopefully we can create that for him.
The Stormers return to URC action on March 23 when they host Edinburgh at Cape Town Stadium.
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