John Dobson, the Stormers coach and director of rugby, recently shared insights on Frans Malherbe's grueling journey through rehab following a back injury that has sidelined him since last April. While the road to recovery remains shrouded in uncertainty, Dobson revealed encouraging progress, albeit with recent complications.
"Frans made sure to remind me this week that he's hitting rehab every day," Dobson confessed. Malherbe's progress seemed on track with his back and neck healing well, but a new challenge has emerged with his hip. "He's running at full tilt, which is great, but he can't shift directions just yet, and we're not sure if the hip issue ties back to his original injuries."
"He's rehabbing properly. It's all about the nerve and the pain. He's not scrumming yet, so he's not certain. But from the running and his general shape, he's looking good."
Dobson holds onto hope that Malherbe might return during the season, which would significantly bolster the Stormers' scrum capabilities. In the meantime, he's ramping up expectations on his current prop lineup, particularly in the upcoming showdown against the Sharks. "Neetas had a tough day last week. We might have felt slighted by a few referee calls, but honestly, our starting front row should have performed better," Dobson admitted, emphasizing the need for early dominance in the game to set the tone with the referee.
For the imminent clash, Neethling Fouche and Ntuthuko Mchunu will be leading the charge as starting props, with Vernon Matongo and Sazi Sandi expected to solidify the scrum later in the game.
The Stormers anticipate a significant backline boost, which might just be the edge they need to secure a decisive victory over the Sharks in Cape Town, aiming for a double-digit win to affirm their dominance.
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John Dobson, the Stormers coach and director of rugby, recently shared insights on Frans Malherbe's grueling journey through rehab following a back injury that has sidelined him since last April. While the road to recovery remains shrouded in uncertainty, Dobson revealed encouraging progress, albeit with recent complications.
"Frans made sure to remind me this week that he's hitting rehab every day," Dobson confessed. Malherbe's progress seemed on track with his back and neck healing well, but a new challenge has emerged with his hip. "He's running at full tilt, which is great, but he can't shift directions just yet, and we're not sure if the hip issue ties back to his original injuries."
"He's rehabbing properly. It's all about the nerve and the pain. He's not scrumming yet, so he's not certain. But from the running and his general shape, he's looking good."
Dobson holds onto hope that Malherbe might return during the season, which would significantly bolster the Stormers' scrum capabilities. In the meantime, he's ramping up expectations on his current prop lineup, particularly in the upcoming showdown against the Sharks. "Neetas had a tough day last week. We might have felt slighted by a few referee calls, but honestly, our starting front row should have performed better," Dobson admitted, emphasizing the need for early dominance in the game to set the tone with the referee.
For the imminent clash, Neethling Fouche and Ntuthuko Mchunu will be leading the charge as starting props, with Vernon Matongo and Sazi Sandi expected to solidify the scrum later in the game.
The Stormers anticipate a significant backline boost, which might just be the edge they need to secure a decisive victory over the Sharks in Cape Town, aiming for a double-digit win to affirm their dominance.
Teams: Starting props - Neethling Fouche, Ntuthuko Mchunu; Second-half props - Vernon Matongo, Sazi Sandi.