October 2, 07:15IOL

John Dobson of the Stormers: Siya Kolisi Proves It With Actions, Not Words

Stormers coach John Dobson expressed satisfaction with Siya Kolisi's contribution both on and off the field. Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is included in the Stormers squad for the match in the United Rugby Championship against Edinburgh, which will take place at Hive Stadium on Friday.

Returning to the Cape Town franchise, two-time World Cup winner Kolisi immediately brought an elevation of play, leadership, and presence to the team. His return to the Stormers on Wednesday followed a significant personal effort to join the team after a series of matches in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks.

After fulfilling international duties for the Springboks, including participation in the last three matches against the New Zealanders, Kolisi personally requested to be included in the squad during the tour. He made a difficult journey from Perth via Dubai and Dublin to join his teammates in Galway last week. Kolisi even trained with the Stormers after injuries to forwards Evan Roos and Marcel Teunissen before the match, but he will be playing in Scotland on Friday.

John Dobson, Stormers rugby director, stated: 'Actions speak louder than words.' He added: 'He called me and said he wanted to join us on the tour. He arrived in Galway at midnight on Thursday after an incredible journey.'

Dobson continued: 'His presence, smile, songs, and everything else just lifts the team's morale. But there is no doubt that his contribution to the game is what we are achieving. He is a very imposing physical figure, and that will be useful on the 4G pitch.'

In addition to his work carrying the ball and defending on the field, Kolisi's return serves as an important link between experienced Springboks players and young athletes developing within the club's system.

Handing the Reins to Yaqeen Ahmed

While Kolisi provides an experienced backbone in the backline, there is an interesting shift in the attacking line: 20-year-old newcomer Yaqeen Ahmed received his first start at wing forward position following Yuri Matty's injury.

The combination of Kolisi's 118 previous matches of experience with Ahmed's raw, instinctive talent reflects Dobson's deliberate strategy of building long-term squad depth. Dobson explained: 'I think this distribution of the team, with four rookies last week and experience now, is perfect.' He added: 'It's a nice combination. We have worked hard over the last couple of years on succession planning and age distribution, and it is starting to look more organized.'

Playing on artificial turf in Scotland presents a serious tactical challenge for the junior Springboks star, but captain Roan Nell assured that the team would give Ahmed the freedom to play in his natural style without fear of making mistakes.

Nell noted: 'A guy like Yaqeen is a very exciting young player. You really want him to play in his natural style; he is a very instinctive player. Just by nature and the pressure of the game, he might make one or two wrong decisions. So our role from outside is just to guide him in those moments. We don't want to restrict him. He must have the freedom to learn these lessons, gain experience, and make better decisions next time.'

Following a reassuring victory over Connacht, the second away win puts the Stormers in an ideal position before returning to Cape Town for four consecutive home matches, starting with the SA derby against the Sharks at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on October 10.

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iol.co.zaOctober 1, 16:30

Siya Kolisi will start for Stormers against Edinburgh, and Yakin Ahmed will take on the playmaker role

Siya Kolisi will feature in the starting sixth jersey for the Stormers in the upcoming Friday match against Edinburgh. The Springboks captain, Siya Kolisi, will start for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship match after more than five years, which will take place at Hive Stadium on Friday evening.

Returning to the franchise where he began his professional career, Kolisi will earn his 119th captaincy match for the Stormers as the team plays in Scotland (match starts at 20:45 South African time).

Kolisi will start at open flanker, while Loo Nel will move to blindside flanker, and Riley Norton will take up the second row position. The only other change in the forward pack is that Ntutuko Mchunu will start at left prop.

In the backline, Stephan Ungerer and Yakin Ahmed will form a new midfield pairing to control the game. Ahmed replaces the injured Yuri Mattia, who sustained an ankle injury in the match against Connacht. The midfielder was sent home along with wingers Evan Roos and Marcel Teunisssen, who suffered injuries prior to this match.

A new player, Vandile Mlaba, has been added to the bench, providing support as a winger. Stormers rugby director John Dobson emphasized that the team's main objective is to finish the overseas tour with a victory before returning to Cape Town for four home matches.

Dobson noted: 'Last week's match against Connacht was encouraging in many ways, but we would like to see a more ruthless approach in the game that we have worked on this week.' He added that 'we know Edinburgh is a difficult place to play, and we have some experience, including Siya, Ntutuko, and Stephan, alongside Yakin Ahmed and Vandile Mlaba, who are both very talented young players.' He concluded that 'it will require great effort from all 23 players to achieve results before we return to Cape Town for the decisive period of our season.'

iol.co.zaSeptember 27, 12:30

Siya Kolisi's return to the Stormers began with training and celebrating victory in Galway

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi eagerly awaited his long-awaited return to the Stormers jersey and joined the team in Ireland before their first match in the United Rugby Championship (URC) last week.

Siya Kolisi was so keen to wear the Stormers jersey again that he flew to Ireland on Thursday and asked to play in their first URC match against Connacht in Galway on Friday evening. The Springbok captain aimed to return in the first game after coming back to the club from Cape Town, where he started his professional career.

Late injuries to Evan Roos and Marcel Teunissen ultimately allowed rugby director John Dobson to consider using Kolisi in Ireland. Initially, Roos was supposed to play at position No. 6, but his late departure from the game, followed by an injury to his replacement Teunissen, prompted Dobson to consider the option of Kolisi.

However, the newcomers invited to the team, Louw Nel and Riley Norton, showed exceptional results, which helped the Stormers secure a 29-15 victory in the first match of the new season.

United Rugby Championship

Kolisi joined his new teammates on Thursday and even participated in the pre-match warm-up with the team at the Dexcom stadium, surprising a small number of Stormers fans in Ireland. After the victory, he joined the team in the locker room and sang their song, Impi Yama Stormer, celebrating the triumph.

The inspiring Bok leader, along with assistant coach Rito Khulunwani and several players, also went to sing with the fans who waited for them after the match. John Dobson highly praised Kolisi's efforts to join the team and his willingness to contribute.

Dobson stated: "I just want to loudly thank Siya Kolisi, who asked to join us, and he wanted to play tonight (Friday), despite landing so late on Thursday." He continued: "I think this will help the entire destratification of the Stormers with the Springboks and without them. Having such a guy who is so involved, and truly an amazing example of actions speaking louder than words. And he comes here, puts in so much effort, trains with the team. It meant a lot to us.".