DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson has lauded the absolute commitment of his returning Springboks as the franchise prepares for a massive United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
Ahead of their season opener against Connacht in Galway, Dobson revealed that Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe, and Wilco Louw rejected their optional rest windows to ensure they are available for the Cape side as soon as possible.
The Stormers boss hailed this as a massive statement of intent for the squad's culture, noting that every single player showed a desire to fight for the jersey from day one. “Not one of those three guys took up that right," Dobson revealed. "They're not the only ones. All of them showed their commitment to the Stormers, and they wanted to play every game.”
The influx of world-class talent forms part of a star-studded 56-man squad boasting 15 Springboks. However, the immediate challenge for Dobson is navigating a tricky post-international window.
While the Stormers kick off their campaign against Connacht, followed by Edinburgh a week later, a chunk of their frontline Boks, including Kolisi, Louw, Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Paul de Villiers, remain tied up in Rassie Erasmus’ plans to face the Wallabies.
Adding to the selection puzzle, superstar winger Cheslin Kolbe is currently sidelined with a broken jaw. Dobson acknowledged the logistical headache of the schedule, admitting, “We’ve got our players always around the playoff times.
“It’s this period that’s challenging, around post what is traditionally the Rugby Championship, and post what this year is the Nations Championship, but normally with the November tour. This right now is tricky for us in terms of their availability.”
Balancing national ambitions with club duties remains a delicate tightrope, especially for players looking to cement their places in the national setup. “If I was a player and I hadn’t been to a World Cup before, and I’m playing for the Stormers but I’m in the Springbok mix, the last thing I want to do is get injured,” Dobson noted.
However, the Cape boss remains entirely unfazed by their dedication to the regional cause. “We have to make sure our guys are fully invested in our campaign, which they will be.
“When you talk about the Springboks, a guy like Paul is going to be thoroughly invested; Deon is going to be thoroughly invested; Siya is already thoroughly invested. I’m not worried about that, I think they’ll all be available. I think the Springboks have communicated clearly to us about the rest period in the Six Nations window.”
Managing the workloads of individual players will be critical, particularly for breakout sensation Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “Sacha … he’s just come off four massive 80-minute games so that’s going to require some management, but I don’t doubt his investment or that he’ll be there at the sharp end,” Dobson explained.
Crucially, the Director of Rugby believes the Stormers are far better equipped to handle these scheduling disruptions than in previous seasons. “Our difference between our A and B teams is better than it was,” he added.
“We don’t want to go through another Harlequins experience where we send a team on the plane that takes 58 points. That’s where our growth is: we have to learn to be really good without the Springboks, and hopefully this tour coming up now is a time when we can show that we can.”