FILE - Stormers backs Warrick Gelant and Damian Willemse pictured together during a Champions Cup match last season. The two Springboks will be back together for the Cape side against Zebre this weekend. FILE - Stormers backs Warrick Gelant and Damian Willemse pictured together during a Champions Cup match last season. The two Springboks will be back together for the Cape side against Zebre this weekend. Picture: Rodger Bosch / AFP
The Stormers will be boosted by the return of Springboks fullback Warrick Gelant and prop Sazi Sandi for their United Rugby Championship match against Zebre Parma.
The Stormers surrendered a 16-13 halftime lead to go down 37-24 against the Ospreys in Bridgend in their first match of the new campaign.
Gelant’s return could see a tweak in the backline, with another Springbok Damian Willemse moving to flyhalf to make accommodate the fullback, who will bring much-needed experience to the back division.
Flyhalf Jurie Matthee, who kicked 11 points for the Stormers, is likely to make way for Willemse at No 10 as the Stormers look to record their first win of the season.
Director of rugby John Dobson was left frustrated by the defeat, saying that the areas that require improvement are clear, identifying their kicking game as an area where they can improve.
The two-footed Gelant will certainly boost the team in that regard, as he is a wonderful player at seeing space to launch those tactical kicks.
“Sazi Sandi and Warrick Gelant will come back in. If you look at the Ospreys game and where we can remedy it, it is through team selection,” Dobson told the Stormers’ website.
“Our lineouts were excellent, 100 percent, but we lost a few contestable kicks and we struggled a bit in that department.”
Dobson said he was happy with the 23-year-old Matthee, who will hopefully take a lot of learnings out of the match after featuring in the Currie Cup earlier this season.
“He is still a developing flyhalf. I don’t think we exited as well as we could have, yet Jurie was solid,” said Dobosn. “It was a tough outing overall but he’s got potential and a nice temperament.”
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