Following their 53-16 humbling at the hands of Harlequins, the Stormers look set to be handed a massive injury boost ahead of their return to United Rugby Championship action.
John Dobson was forced to send a rather youthful Stormers outfit to the Twickenham Stoop last week as the Capetioans not only battle with a stacked schedule but a brutal injury list.
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel as the inaugural URC winners host the Lions at DHL Stadium on Saturday with four Springboks stars set to mark their return.
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Deon Fourie, Ben-Jason Dixon, Frans Malherbe and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu all look set to make their returns to action this weekend in a timely boost for the Stormers as they look to get their URC season back on track.
Dobson’s side has won just two of their first six games of the 2024/25 season and have a challenging run of fixtures ahead of them with a visit from the Sharks after Christmas before a break after which they collide with the Sale Sharks and Racing 92 in mid-January.
Flanker Fourie is primed for his first appearance in the blue and white hoops in over nine months after sustaining a knee injury in last season’s Champions Cup clash against La Rochelle in April earlier this year. Initially, the World Cup winner targeted a return at the end of November but that has been delayed until now.
“I was fortunate enough in my 18-year career so far, that I haven’t been out of rugby for more than three months through injuries. This is the first one for ninth months,” he Boks Office in October.
“You have your ups and downs. It goes well and then the knee puffs up and then you’re two weeks back. Emotionally and mentally it is a big of a struggle.
“In the last few weeks I have started running, straight line running, then you feel like you are getting there. You have got the boots back on the feet and that helps a lot.
“The goal is the end of November, that’s when we play the Sharks, away. But there is no rush, I have to make sure it is 100%.”
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More good news for the Stormers
His return is a further boost to the squad after Springboks lock Salmaan Moerat marked his comeback from injury in the starting XV against Harlequins and there are further boosts in the pack.
Ruben van Heerden is set to be back following his concussion while the same is true for Bok loose forward Dixon. Most notably, Malherbe is also primed to feature this weekend after he was ruled out of the Springboks November internationals after sustaining an injury in the Stormers’ loss to the Glasgow Warriors in late October.
Meanwhile, breakout Springboks star Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned to training last week and is also in line to feature against the Lions while it is still unclear whether fellow playmaker Manie Libbok will be available after he was hospitalised in the clash against Toulon.
Prop Sti Sithole is primed to return to action before the end of the year while the likes of Steven Kitshoff (neck), Evan Roos (shoulder), Dan du Plessis (knee), Ben Loader (knee) and Damian Willemse (groin) are all continuing their rehab and are scheduled to return to play in the new year.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/stormers-get-massive-springboks-boost-as-world-cup-winner-returns-after-nine-months-along-with-world-class-trio
