Loose forward Louw Nel wants to convert his part-time status into a more full-time role when the Stormers get their Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign under way in September.
Nel has been impressive in a losing cause for Western Province in the Currie Cup so far, scoring a brace of tries for his team in their 40-19 loss to the Lions at Ellis Park.
The 22-year-old, former Paarl Gim loosie will be one of the more experienced players who’ll take the field for WP against Griquas on Friday afternoon. He says he’s just happy to get consistent game time.
“For me it’s the opportunity to get minutes under the belt. That’s how you improve, develop and build confidence,” said the young loosie.
We’re a nice group. Zain (Davids) brings lots of energy and guys like Scarra (Ntubeni) and Gary (Porter) bring high standards. The Currie Cup is a great opportunity to show what we’re made of, looking at the URC.”
Looking to Friday’s crunch match in Kimberley, Nel says Griquas will bring a hard edge to the way they play.
“They’re a good team, very well coached. They’re physical and it’ll be very difficult playing them on their home ground.”
Stormers assistant coach Brok Harris has hinted that a few more Junior Springboks could be used to bolster their ranks for the Griquas clash.
Centre Gino Cupido made an immediate impact on debut last week, and more U20 stars – including captain Riley Norton, Xola Nyali, Wandile Mlaba, Oliver Reid, Herman Lubbe, Siya Ndlozi and Dominic Malgas – are now available for selection.
