Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has revealed that Springboks powerhouse Evan Roos will be back from injury for their next game against Sale Sharks in January.
Roos was an essential member of the title winning side in the inaugural United Rugby Championship season which ultimately ended in a Springboks call-up a coupl later.
The Stormers have missed the strong ball carrying of the number eight in their very slow start to the season that saw the side only win two from their first six league games whilst falling well short so far in the Champions Cup.
Crucial points
However, thanks to the return of some other Springboks stars such as veteran Deon Fourie, the Capetonians have put together back-to-back bonus points victories against the Lions and the Sharks with the latest 24-20 win coming in front of a packed Cape Town Stadium.
Dobson admits the star-studded Sharks were a handful but was delighted to get the win and start turning the tides on a poor season so far.
“The Sharks fought and made so many disruptions, and we couldn’t bury them. When they slowed our ball down, we really struggled,” he told reporters after the match. “It was messy but in that second half I thought we opened them up quite well.
“We said at the start that we need 10 points from these last two games. I think we’re properly in the mix now for our [URC] season.”
Eyeing home streak
The Stormers are not that far behind the position they were in at this stage during their title winning season when they launched a crazy win streak at home to eventually earn a home final. Coach Dobson is looking for another strong run in the Mother City.
“If you look at our fixtures I know we’ve got Leinster and Ulster [away from home] but if you look through the teams that are coming here… I don’t want to be disrespectful but they’re beatable.
“We should start one of our normal marches now but this was a defining time, and if we didn’t get it [the win] today, things would have got pretty tough.”
Magic is earned
What made that URC I winning side so good to watch was their free-flowing magic on attack, something which the Stormers have tried to emulate this season but have been guilty of forcing their hand.
Returning captain Fourie underlined that magic must be earned which showed at times against the Sharks but is still a work-on.
“I said after the game, we made our own errors, and that is fixable, but there is one thing you can’t buy or teach, and that is fight. It’s something to be proud of,” Fourie said.
“And also the difference between the first URC season and now is we’ve got magical players. Sometimes you have to rein them in and say, ‘listen, there’s structure and you have to earn the magic’, but that’s what makes them brilliant players.”
Returning Roos
Next up for the Stormers is a must win clash against Sale Sharks or their European hopes will be dead in the water. Dobson is stressing on the fitness of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu but revealed Roos will be in the mix.
“We will give it a spin in two weeks’ time – like really have a crack, shackles off. There’s nothing to lose and if we get it, then we’ll go on a proper tour [to Europe],” Dobson said.
“But if we lose to Sale, the Racing 92 game the next week will be purely academic. Leolin [Zas] should be back, and Evan [Roos] and Sti [Sithole].”
