John Dobson and Steven Kitshoff (Rooster)
Champions Cup newcomers the Stormers will be without five regulars, including Springboks Frans Malherbe, Marvin Orie and Evan Roos, when they take on “fearsome” Clermont in France on Saturday.
“When Clermont is at home and on fire, it’s really scary,” said former Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks manager Jake White, who spent several seasons in charge of Montpellier.
White now coaches the Bulls, who will host another French club, Challenge Cup champions Lyon, in the South African teams’ debut in Europe’s top club competition.
Stormers and South Africa prop Steven Kitshoff agrees with White, telling AFP that “when I played for Bordeaux-Begles (Clermont) it was one of the hardest places to go.”
It won’t help the Stormers’ hopes of success that, apart from prop Malherbe, blocking Orie and No 8 Roos, they will also miss loose forwards Willie Engelbrecht and Nama Xaba through injury.
Manager John Dobson, who guided the Cape Town side to the United Rugby Championship (URC) title last season, shrugged.
“Making our Champions League debut is a special occasion and we want to do our talent justice,” he said.
Dobson can call on three strikers who toured Europe with South Africa last month: Kitshoff, Salmaan Moerat and flanker Deon Fourie.
Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba is also in a 26-man squad and knows what to expect in France having spent two seasons with Bordeaux.
While the Stormers’ package is sold out, they boast an exciting back-line, including Damian Willemse, one of the finds of the 2022 Springbok season.
In the absence of injured fly half Handre Pollard, Willemse was the playmaker in narrow defeats to Ireland and France and convincing wins over Italy and England.
The 24-year-old can also play full-back, inside centre-back, which some coaches consider his best position, and full-back.
Bulls look at Goosen
With newly crowned Springbok Manie Libbok the Stormers’ first-choice flyhalf, Willemse could start at fullback against Clermont.
Another showdown between South Africa and France pits the Bulls against Lyon in Pretoria.
The Bulls’ preparations have been overshadowed by the disappearance of winger Sbu Nkosi, who was found at his father’s house on Monday after being missing for three weeks.
Nkosi, who has made 16 appearances for the Springboks, blamed mental stress for his action, prompting a nationwide police search.
READ | Bulls on the future of Sbu Nkosi: “Our concern is the person, not the player”
Coach White pins his hopes of winning on opener Johan Goosen, whose previous clubs included Racing 92 and Montpellier.
“If he can play like he did against Cardiff with limited training time, we’re excited for what Johan can do,” said the manager after beating the Welsh 45-9 in the URC last weekend.
Goosen spent most of this year sidelined with injuries, forcing him to pull out of the Springboks’ tour of Europe.
The Sharks are the only South African debutants not to face French opponents this weekend, hosting English club Harlequins before playing in Bordeaux next Friday.
The Durban franchise sacked manager Sean Everitt last week after URC’s 35-0 home loss to Cardiff and replaced him with their director of rugby union and former national sevens team coach Neil Powell.
Powell earned the approval of Springbok World Cup-winning winger and captain Siya Kolisi, who described the manager as “an honest, straight-forward man who gets into it with the lads”.
Kolisi is among the current six Springboks who could take on the Harlequins, but prop Thomas du Toit is missing after being sent off against England two weeks ago.
