Stormers hooker Joseph Dweba is set to make his 50th appearance for the Cape Town-based outfit in Saturday’s Champions Cup clash against Toulon in Gqeberha.
The match against the French heavyweights will be held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as the Stormers’ home venue, the DHL Stadium, is being used to host World Rugby’s Cape Town SVNS tournament this weekend.
John Dobson’s charges will be in a desperate mood as they head into the Champions Cup after a poor start to their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
The Stormers are currently in 13th position on the table in that competition having won just two out of six matches so far this season and they suffered a 21-15 defeat against the Sharks last weekend.
Stormers decimated by injuries
The inaugural URC winners have been decimated by injuries to key players and are currently without the services of Springboks players Damian Willemse, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Deon Fourie and Evan Roos.
Another Boks star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and stand-in captain Dan du Plessis will also miss the Toulon clash due to injuries sustained in that loss to the Sharks.
Dweba said they are aiming to bounce back against Toulon and highlighted where they will have to improve against the three-time Champions Cup winners.
“The focus shifted to ourselves. The mistakes we made, we had to fix up,” he said. “We want to play our brand of rugby, the way we know. We got a bit loose, and had to tighten those things up.
“We have been focusing on our set-pieces, and that is where we feel Toulon will challenge us this weekend. They are a big pack of forwards, and have shown they can scrum.
“But we are also happy with how we are going in the scrums. Those connections you make weekly with the players next to you help a lot.”
It will be a momentous occasion for the Springbok when he runs out for the Stormers for the 50th time and he admitted that he is looking forward to the occasion.
“I didn’t think I would reach 50 caps, but it will be a special moment for me,” Dweba admitted.
‘I am excited for this new season’
“My experience has been fantastic with the Stormers. In the first season, we ended up in the final (of the URC and winning) and reached the quarters in the second. So, I am excited for this new season.”
In the past, one of the weaknesses in his game has been his lineout throw-ins which has seen him receiving plenty of criticism.
The 30-year-old has improved in that department but said that part of his game is still a work in progress and credited some of his team-mates for the improvement.
“Touch wood, but yes, it is going well,” he added about the lineouts. “We are working hard on it. As a player, you never go to the field to stuff up or anything. You always go to do your best.
“Unfortunately, you are not playing against robots, but against a team. The aim is to do well in your lineouts, but things happen on the field.
“JD (Schickerling) has added a lot to our lineout. Having him and guys like Ruben (van Heerden) and Adré (Smith) there helps a lot.
“You get that sense of relief as a hooker when they are in the team.”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/springbok-pinpoints-key-areas-of-improvement-needed-by-stormers-against-toulon
