John Dobson has revealed Springbok playmaker Damian Willemse’s long-awaited return from injury will in all likelihood be as the starting flyhalf for the DHL Stormers.
Willemse, who missed the end of the 2023-24 Vodacom URC, the July Test series and basically the entire 2024 Rugby Championship due to a finger injury, is currently in pre-season training with the Stormers and set to face the Ospreys on 28 September.
Speaking in a URC media round table this week, Stormers director of rugby Dobson confirmed Willemse will likely start at flyhalf in the absence of Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, both of whom are currently with the Boks.
Dobson expressed confidence in the Capetonians’ depth at No 10 but acknowledged the challenge of balancing the talented trio once Libbok and Feinberg-Mngomezulu return.
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“I hope one of them gets injured,” he joked with reporters. “I don’t really mean that, but it’s a tricky one because we’ve also got Damian Willemse and all these 10, 12, 15s.
“It’s a great position to be in, but Sacha’s made it clear that he wants to be a 10 throughout his career.
“Damian’s different – he wants to play anywhere – and I know Manie’s played at 15 before, but he’s an out and out 10.
“It’ll just be pure rotation; we’re blessed to have it because we didn’t expect it. So, it’s going to be a straight rotation [situation]. I think when the [URC] competition starts, Damian is available, and he’ll probably start at 10 until the others come back from the national team.
“Then we’ll have a problem when one of them will have to sit on the bench. Sorry for the cliché, but it’s a nice position to be in.”
Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
