Just when you thought the Stormers could catch a break, their lock room turns into a medical ward. Ruben van Heerden, the team’s hard-nosed forward, has just been benched for thumb surgery, expected to sit out for a painful three months. This blow comes hot on the heels of Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat's toe surgery, sidelining him for around four months. The timing? Impeccable, if you're rooting for disaster.
The Stormers' already shaky campaign faces more tremors as they've recently dropped their last two URC games to the Sharks—bonus points nowhere in sight. They're set to jump back into the fray on February 28th with a derby against the Lions in Johannesburg, but with their lock stocks dwindling, the pressure is mounting.
"It's not great timing."
That's the understatement of the year, considering their lock crisis. JD Schickerling and Adré Smith are now holding the fort, with Alex Groves and Gary Porter stepping up, though doubts linger over their ability to consistently bring the required physicality at URC level. Connor Evans might add his weight to the lock position, but boosting his impact is still a work in progress.
Stormers' coach John Dobson might have to shuffle his pack, eyeing loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon as a potential lock. However, he's wary of disrupting the synergy of his primary loose trio, Paul de Villiers and Evan Roos, who've been solid so far.
"Breaking up that combination is something we'd like to avoid,"
Dobson noted, highlighting the dilemma he faces.
Meanwhile, the lock shortage overshadows the news of Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach’s hernia surgery, which will see him out for about eight weeks. While the scrumhalf's surgery is a setback, the lock situation is ringing more alarm bells, revealing a gaping hole in what was once a position of strength for the Stormers.
As the URC SA Shield sees the Sharks making strides, the Stormers are scrambling to patch up their line-up and keep their heads above water. It’s a rough sea ahead, and only time will tell if they can navigate through these turbulent waters without their key enforcers.
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Just when you thought the Stormers could catch a break, their lock room turns into a medical ward. Ruben van Heerden, the team’s hard-nosed forward, has just been benched for thumb surgery, expected to sit out for a painful three months. This blow comes hot on the heels of Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat's toe surgery, sidelining him for around four months. The timing? Impeccable, if you're rooting for disaster.
The Stormers' already shaky campaign faces more tremors as they've recently dropped their last two URC games to the Sharks—bonus points nowhere in sight. They're set to jump back into the fray on February 28th with a derby against the Lions in Johannesburg, but with their lock stocks dwindling, the pressure is mounting.
"It's not great timing."
That's the understatement of the year, considering their lock crisis. JD Schickerling and Adré Smith are now holding the fort, with Alex Groves and Gary Porter stepping up, though doubts linger over their ability to consistently bring the required physicality at URC level. Connor Evans might add his weight to the lock position, but boosting his impact is still a work in progress.Stormers' coach John Dobson might have to shuffle his pack, eyeing loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon as a potential lock. However, he's wary of disrupting the synergy of his primary loose trio, Paul de Villiers and Evan Roos, who've been solid so far.
"Breaking up that combination is something we'd like to avoid,"
Dobson noted, highlighting the dilemma he faces.Meanwhile, the lock shortage overshadows the news of Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach’s hernia surgery, which will see him out for about eight weeks. While the scrumhalf's surgery is a setback, the lock situation is ringing more alarm bells, revealing a gaping hole in what was once a position of strength for the Stormers.
As the URC SA Shield sees the Sharks making strides, the Stormers are scrambling to patch up their line-up and keep their heads above water. It’s a rough sea ahead, and only time will tell if they can navigate through these turbulent waters without their key enforcers.