DHL Stormers XXIII head coach Tom Dawson-Squibb attributed their heavy 41-03 Currie Cup loss against the Boland Cavaliers to a severe injury crisis. However, he expects a timely boost with several key players returning to training ahead of their next match against the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV.
The youthful Stormers side went down 41-03 in Wellington after being thoroughly outplayed in every facet by a dominant Boland team.
Dawson-Squibb noted that the absence of a large contingent of frontline players cost his side dearly during the physical Cape derby.
"We've got a few players coming back, so hopefully that'll make a difference," he said.
"I think Jean-Luc du Plessis will be back, Suleiman Hartzenberg is back and fit, as well as Joel Leotlela, Ezekiel Ngobeni, Ollie Reid, Danie Kruger and Louw Nel. So there are options from a selection point of view.
"We're obviously playing a different opposition on a different ground, and I'd like to think we'll bounce back from this."
Despite the setback, the coach said that there is character within the squad and he expects a strong response when they face the Sharks XV in Cape Town.
"We need to be better. The easiest thing to say is select a different team, but you've got what you've got, and I'm confident in the guys that we've got enough in the tank," he said.
"We need to be better; we need to change one or two things. I'm obviously frustrated at the moment - partly with how we performed and maybe partly with myself. What could we have done differently?
"You always do that as a coach. It's easier to sit and blame the players, but I'm not going to do that."