Stormers’ fringe players get last chance to impress

WITH the Springboks getting a well-deserved break for the next month, the fringe players at the Stormers will most likely have a last chance in the local derbies to convince coach John Dobson not to discard them ahead of the United Rugby Championship playoffs.

There has been a mixed bag of results this season for the defending champions when they had to shake things up when missing key players.

Narrow home wins earlier in the season suggest that the stand-in players stood their ground when called upon. However, the trashing by Ulster in Ireland this past weekend, with a bunch of senior players missing, again showed that the squad depth of South African teams is not nearly where it needs to be when competing with a second-string side against the top teams in the URC.

And that there is still a lot of work for the fringe players to do if they want to have a shot at making the team, if and when the Stormers reach the playoffs this season.

The Cape side are comfortably on their way to a second consecutive playoff with the next three games (home and away against the Sharks and Bulls (away at Loftus in between the Sharks match) being important if they want to stay atop the South African shield heading into the knockout round.

It will be challenging away games, especially tomorrow when they face the Sharks for the first time in a year. After the drubbing against Ulster, the team will have to find confidence in their game again.

Yes, the Durbanites will also be severely low on their Bok stock, but they are at home and with their tail fins in the air after their last-minute win over Edinburgh in Scotland last weekend.

A victory for the Stormers will restore some breathing space on the URC standings and keep that distance between them and the rest of the SA teams. So those fringe players who will be getting much-needed game will again be tasked to make that step-up.

The likes of utility back Suleiman Hartzenberg, wing Angelo Davids, and loose forwards Marcel Theunissen and Ben-Jason Dixon have proven that they can grab opportunities in the absence of key players like Salmaan Moerat, Deon Fourie, Hacjivah Dayimani, and speedsters Seabelo Senatla and Leolin Zas.

Davids has been impressive on the wing and the “donkey work” put in by Dixon and Theunissen among the forwards has not gone unnoticed.

Hartzenberg’s rise (he is only 19-years-old) has been phenomenal and he can fit in at outside centre or on the wing when needed. Judging by his form and performances this season, he will probably be the toughest selection headache for the coaches once all the senior players make their return.

Nonetheless, tomorrow’s clash will give the youngsters another golden opportunity to show their worth.*