The DHL Stormers reported good news with the return of a playmaker from injury ahead of the Vodacom URC clash with Munster on Saturday.
On the back of successive losses on tour to Glasgow Warriors and Benetton, the Stormers are looking to get back to winning ways when they tackle Munster in Limerick in a rematch of last season’s final.
POLL: Who will make the URC playoffs?
The Stormers’ hopes of avenging their defeat at Cape Town Stadium have been boosted by the return to fitness of backline star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
The 21-year-old, who has scored 38 points in his three starts this season, missed the match against Benetton in Treviso with a niggle, forcing Ruhan Nel to shift from outside centre to inside centre.
However, speaking to the media from the team’s base in Treviso, where the Stormers will be based until Wednesday, assistant coach Rito Hlungwani confirmed that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is back in the mix for Saturday’s match.
“Sacha is still with us on tour. He trained today,” Hlungwani said.
“He ran and he really looked good. Hopefully, we have good feedback from the doctors when we finalise the team.”
A combination of ill-timed injuries and the lack of World Cup-tied Springboks have caused the Stormers a bit of a headache in the backline.
Fullback Clayton Blommetjies started at flyhalf in the first two games of the season, before Jean-Luc du Plessis took over at No 10 in the first two tour matches.
“We’ve been unlucky there, but at the same time the guys who have been pulled in have done their best,” Hlungwani said. “Blomme in warm-ups played two 80 minutes when Jean-Luc got injured and he has done really well in the first two games.
“We are a team of fighters, and the guys have put their hands up. Saying that, it is nice to have specialists back.”
Hlungwani also confirmed that loosehead prop Sti Sithole has joined the Stormers in Italy after Lizo Gqoboka suffered a long-term injury.
Photo: Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix