They won’t be seeing their international players for some time but the DHL Stormers have been motivated by how their representatives in the Springbok team have progressed at the World Cup and believe it will strengthen their Vodacom United Rugby Championship challenge.

Steven Kitshoff, who is heading to Ulster anyway and is no longer on the Stormers books, and Frans Malherbe were already established Boks, but Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse and Deon Fourie have all become influential members of the Bok squad currently preparing for Saturday’s RWC semifinal against England.

Earlier in the afternoon on the weekend, the Stormers will be opening their 2023-24 URC campaign with a potentially difficult away game against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg, and assistant coach Dawie Snyman has expressed a hope that the team will deliver a performance to make the players in France proud to be Stormers.

LIBBOK HAS GROWN CONSIDERABLY

Libbok in particular has grown considerably in status and experience since he last played for the Stormers, which was in the URC final that the Stormers lost narrowly to Munster at the DHL Stadium in May. Back then Libbok had just three international caps to his credit, all of them off the bench, and was looking at best to play just a bit part at the World Cup.

However, with Handre Pollard having missed the entire buildup to the tournament in France and then being out for the initial part of the main event itself, Libbok has become a regular wearer of the Bok No 10 jersey and has impressed the global audiences with what he has brought to the South African team as an attacking pivot.

Given that when they recruited him from the Sharks two seasons ago, Libbok was struggling just to make it at franchise level after effectively being overlooked at both the Sharks and the Bulls, it is understandable that the Stormers are proud of what he has achieved since moving to the Cape.

“Everyone at the Stormers is very proud of Manie,” said assistant coach Dawie Snyman, who has worked closely with Libbok as both attack and backline coach.

“Going into a Rugby World Cup year with just three caps to his name meant he was under massive pressure and he has dealt with that very well. He will have learned from that and improved because of it and we know that when he returns to us he will be an even better and stronger player than he was.

“He definitely brings a different dynamic for the Boks and he has helped the players around him. Damian (Willemse) too has profited from Manie’s presence and grown as an international player because of the space and the attacking opportunity that Manie has helped create for him and the wingers.”

WILLEMSE IS NOW WORLD-CLASS

Willemse had of course already played several games for the Boks, both at flyhalf and fullback and he has also helped out at inside centre, before the start of this international season, but he has arguably used the RWC platform to announce himself as a proper world-class player. Veteran Fourie, the oldest player to make his debut for the Boks when he was first capped, has arguably been the surprise package and together with Kwagga Smith, he helped turn the game South Africa’s way in Sunday’s quarterfinal against France in Paris.

The way those players have come through at international level, and Evan Roos would almost certainly have done the same were it not for the fact loose-forward and No 8 is so log-jammed with talented players in this country, will motivate their teammates as they show what can be achieved.

“The Boks do motivate us back home and we want to support them by playing well and also representing them well as Stormers,” said Snyman.

PLEASED WITH FLYHALF DEPTH

The assistant coach said that he was not expecting to see the Boks back playing franchise rugby imminently and it was positive therefore that some depth has been built up in those positions.

“The Springbok players went straight into a training camp just after the URC final so they will need a proper break before we integrate them back into the system. So it is a good thing that we have done well at developing our depth over the past few seasons and we will continue to do so.

“Manie played the most minutes in the URC last season so it will be a positive for us that we get an opportunity while he is away to accelerate the development of some of the other flyhalves on our books. Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) had a great age-group season for the Western Province under-21 team, who won their competition, and Jean-Luc du Plessis is an experienced player who has been in good form.”

The Stormers could well start their URC campaign with young Jurie Mathee, who did well when he made his WP debut at the end of the last Currie Cup season, either wearing the No 10 or playing off the bench. Matthee did well for the Stormers in the pre-season and is considered to have a bright future.

BLOMMETJIES' VERSATILITY A BONUS

However, when both Matthee and Du Plessis were forced to miss the double-header warmup against the Sharks and SWD Eagles at the last minute, Clayton Blommetjies, who is normally a fullback, fitted into the pivot channel and did well.

“Clayton is primarily a No 15 but it is nice that he can fit in at flyhalf. He can certainly help us out there when needed and he is a guy who can give us extra versatility if we go with a bigger bench of forwards,” said Snyman.

The Stormers team for the opening game will be announced on Friday and is likely to feature Salmaan Moerat as captain. The man who is to replace Kitshoff as the regular leader this season was prevented from making his return to the playing field after a long injury layoff by what Snyman referred to as a slight setback, but he says the Bok lock is ready to play in Johannesburg.