Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will play in his 50th match for the Cape side on Saturday. His attacking play and kicking boot will be crucial for the home team as they look to get back to winning ways in the URC.
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The Stormers have a plan for 18-year-old Markus Muller on Saturday, and they want to give him some United Rugby Championship (URC) experience against one of the top sides in the competition.
It is expected that the schoolboy star will get at least 10-15 minutes of game time against a star-studded Glasgow Warriors side at DHL Stadium (1.45pm kick-off) in this top-of-the-table clash, to prepare him for what awaits at senior level. He could potentially face an all-Scottish centre combination.
Muller’s inclusion on the replacement bench might come as a surprise; however, the Stormers have full faith in his abilities, and he will have the right personnel around him to ensure that the moment does not overwhelm him.
It is a critical yet straightforward game for the Stormers’ top-two ambitions in their final home fixture. A bonus-point victory, while preventing Glasgow from picking up points, will see them move into first place. However, a loss without any return could see the Cape side drop as far as fifth on the log.
So, a lot is riding on the result.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also set to play his 50th match, and he is expected to take control of the duel. Utility star Damian Willemse is at fullback and will add a different dimension to both attack and defence.
Glasgow, meanwhile, have selected a full-strength side for the clash, with only one player in the starting XV having fewer than 20 caps for the team.
That is why Dobson said they cannot read too much into last weekend’s 54-12 defeat against the Lions at Ellis Park. Scotland stars Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu reunite in midfield, while captain Kyle Steyn is also back on the wing. Jones and Tuipulotu could provide a significant test for Muller.
“It is 1 versus 2 on the log, and they made their intentions clear with last week’s selection. We cannot read too much into that,” Dobson said of the altered Glasgow side.
“They have clearly identified this game as a target, and it is much easier to win here than in Johannesburg. Look at Connacht (against the Lions). It is easier for Northern Hemisphere teams to play here than up at Ellis Park. This is a proper game on Saturday.
“We want to give someone like Markus some experience in this type of match. He probably will not be the first player off the bench if something happens, but we want him to have 10 to 15 minutes at a high level — I think he is a Stormer. The plan will probably be to move Ruhan (Nel, captain) to 12 and bring him on.
“I do not want him to go to the U20 Championship, then return to the Currie Cup without having had this experience.”
Nel said they have taken stock and will look to rectify their mistakes from last weekend in this crucial clash. The team feels they have had good preparation following the funeral of former team manager Chippie Solomon, and they find themselves in a better emotional space.
The loss of Solomon was certainly felt during Saturday’s encounter with Connacht, but the Stormers are ready to step up and take control of their URC destiny.
“It was a good week on the training field in terms of how we wanted to prepare. There were some good conversations, and the energy feels right. I have no doubt that we will be ready for what comes on Saturday.
“Last week was a very unique week, and hopefully we will not experience one like that again. There were plenty of emotions going into the Connacht game, but I felt we had control up until the 65th minute. We conceded three tries in that period, and based on the analysis, there are not many learnings to take from it.
“However, after uncle Chippie’s funeral, we addressed the situation and agreed that, at some point, we must pick things up again. That is the mentality of the group.”
Stormers XV
15 Damian Willemse, 14 Wandisile Simelane, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Marcel Theunissen, 20 Keke Morabe, 21 Imad Khan, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Markus Muller.
Glasgow Warriors XV
15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Ollie Smith, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ben Afshar, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Angus Fraser, 6 Euan Ferrie, 5 Alex Samuel, 4 Ryan Burke, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Patrick Schickerling.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Dylan Cockburn, 20 Jare Oguntibeju, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Stafford McDowall, 23 Jack Oliver.