The Stormers have a big two-match European tour to deal with in the coming weeks. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The Stormers have welcomed back a few key players for their crucial two-match European tour as they look to sew up a United Rugby Championship quarter-finals spot in the next two weekends of action.
John Dobson and his team take on the Dragons in Newport on Friday before facing Connacht in Galway next Saturday. Two wins on tour will secure the Stormers a top-eight finish.
The Stormers are currently in fifth position on the log with 45 points but they’re being hotly pursued by Connacht, Ulster and Benetton, who all have 44 points, while Edinburgh, in ninth position, have 43 points.
The 27-man squad that will leave Cape Town on Tuesday evening for the two match tour includes fit again backs Angelo Davids and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu while forwards Sti Sithole and Kwenzo Blose also make a return to the squad.
Several other players though have been ruled out of the trip because of injury. Wings Leolin Zas, Ben Loader and Courtnall Skosan, centre Ruhan Nel, scrumhalf Paul de Wet, loose forwards Keke Morabe, Deon Fourie and Nama Xaba, utility forward Hendre Stassen, and props Lizo Gqoboka and Ali Vermaak are all out of action at the moment.
“The congested nature of the log shows just how competitive the United Rugby Championship has been this season. We will need to be at our best if we are going to get the results we need,” said Dobson.
“It is great to have the likes of Sacha, Angelo, Sti and Kwenzo back in the group and we are all looking forward to the challenges that await us in Newport and Galway,” he said.
Meanwhile, wing Seabelo Senatla, who suffered serious injuries in a car crash in May last year, has returned to training with the Stormers. It is not expected he will play this season though.
Backs: Angelo Davids, Dan du Plessis, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Herschel Jantjies, Manie Libbok, Wandisile Simelane, Stefan Ungerer, Damian Willemse.
Forwards: Kwenzo Blose, Hacjivah Dayimani, Ben-Jason Dixon, Joseph Dweba, Willie Engelbrecht, Neethling Fouche, Brok Harris, JJ Kotze, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat (capt), Evan Roos, Sti Sithole, Adre Smith, Marcel Theunissen, Ruben van Heerden, Andre-Hugo Venter.
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