John Dobson highly praised the performance of the Stormers forwards after the scrum battle against Sharks masterclass

The Stormers team demonstrated impressive play in the United Rugby Championship (URC) derby, securing a convincing 39-22 victory over the Sharks on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town. The home side dominated from the start of the match, utilizing powerful mauls and scrums to avenge two losses suffered against the Durbanites last season.

The game was a special event for DHL Stadium, as over 40,000 spectators were present, welcoming the Stormers' new 'Men in Black'-inspired kit, which the team had not worn since 1999. Thanks to this win, which brought bonus points, the Stormers interrupted the Sharks' two-match unbeaten streak and climbed higher in the league table.

Winger Seabelo Senatla opened the scoring just six minutes into the game, scoring the first try from a corner and celebrating with a bicycle kick, reminiscent of the legendary Stormers and Springbok winger Breyton Paulse. This player, representing the 2026 class, debuted in the black jersey.

Captain Bok Siya Kolisi and tighthead Wilco Louw also returned during the match, and injured utility back Cheslin Kolbe made an appearance. Kolbe briefly came on before the start, while Kolisi displayed skill along the sideline during the game.

Dominance in Scrums and Mauls

Wilco Louw was one of the standout figures of the match, as his battle in the scrum against Ox Nché was entirely in favor of his new team. Together with loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu and hooker André-Hugo Venter, the Stormers heavily pressured the Sharks' front line. Nché and teammate Bok Thomas du Toit struggled with the powerful scrum, although Du Toit managed to win a defensive scrum for his team.

The home team also excelled in the mauls, gaining meters on every launch and scoring three tries as a result. The Sharks failed to find effective solutions, while hookers André-Hugo Venter and JJ Kotzé, along with eight Hacjivah Dayimani, scored brilliant tries following powerful mauls.

Dayimani scored his second five-pointer in the second half after the scrum pushed the Sharks over their own goal line, supported by Mchunu and Louw. The Stormers secured their bonus point just a minute into the second half when winger Leolin Zas scored a try. At that moment, the Sharks were playing with 13 men after yellow cards issued to Matt Romao for a dangerous tackle on Jonathan Roche and Tshituka for stopping a maul.

The Sharks regained a full complement of players and managed to advance towards the goal line, scoring a try from a maul, which was their second in the match, slightly livening up the game. Head coach JP Pietersen decided to bring on six substitutes simultaneously, and this seemed to work, as the Sharks scored another excellent try, scored by Phepsi Buthelezi.

Impact of Substitutions and Match Conclusion

This try occurred at a time when the Stormers were playing somewhat relaxed and experienced a defensive dip. However, when rugby director John Dobson introduced the substitutes, they injected fresh energy into the team. The try scored by substitute hooker JJ Kotzé from a maul effectively decided the outcome of the game while the Sharks tried to catch up.

Dayimani, who also played outstandingly, nearly completed a hat-trick in the final 10 minutes after a brilliant play by the home team, delighting the spectators. Nevertheless, before he could score, fullback Damian Willemse dropped the ball. Despite it being a brilliant first home performance for the Cape Town side, they acknowledged that they could have scored more points. Nonetheless, they can use this exciting display in upcoming matches.

Score at the end of the match: Stormers 39 (13): Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani (2), André-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JJ Kotzé. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Penalties: Mngomezulu. Sharks (8): Tries: Manu Tshituka, Matt Romao, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalties: Lombard.

Stormers rugby team director John Dobson stated that the team maintains full confidence in playmaker Warwick Gelant's abilities, even though the attacker was not included in the squad for Saturday's match against Sharks.

According to John Dobson, selecting the defensive line for Saturday's derby was relatively straightforward, as it included all Springboks players except for injured Cheslin Kolbe, and Warwick Gelant was excluded from the match roster.

Damian Willemse will take position No. 15 instead of Gelant, who was not on the match day squad, as Stormers prepare for their first home game in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against Sharks on Saturday afternoon.

Over 30,000 tickets have been sold for this coastal derby, which will take place at the DHL stadium. Stormers aim to return to winning ways after their defeat in the second match against Edinburgh last week. They previously started their URC campaign with a bonus-point win over Connacht.

Maintaining Support for Gelant

The head coach noted that he is aware of the unpopularity of his decision not to include Warwick Gelant, adding that if Gelant were playing at fullback and Damian at No. 12, it could cause strong criticism.

He explained that while they highly value Warwick, he is one of the world's best players. Since Jonathan Roux performed well in the last two matches, the management decided to focus on building team cohesion. Dobson clarified that the most difficult issues were assembling the bench and determining the starting positions of the props, whereas selecting the defensive line players was very simple.

Nevertheless, Dobson emphasized that he still strongly believes in Gelant. The coach believes that fans will see a better performance from Gelant compared to last season. He is also aware of the public opinion that coaches might favor the 2019 World Cup winner.

However, his contribution to the team in the absence of Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Willemse is invaluable for the debut URC winners.

Dobson explained that they did not bring in J C Mars. He mentioned that Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) and Damian are options at No. 15, but when they are in the Springboks squad, they need a player capable of delivering results. Although Warwick made some errors, he improved his physical condition in the pre-season. He admitted that Gelant made mistakes against Connacht but believes that people do not understand his positional play, game understanding, communication skills, and fighting ability—these are the subtle aspects where he performed well.

The addition of Leighton David to the Stormers team was initially viewed as a risky move in player recruitment policy. David, who was previously a South African triple jump champion and once ran 100 meters in 10.3 seconds, lacks education from traditional rugby schools such as Bishops or Paarl Boys’ High, and did not follow the established path through Craven Week, which often guarantees a professional contract in South African rugby.

However, his arrival in Cape Town symbolizes something broader than just squad strengthening: it highlights a growing realization within domestic rugby that the previous talent development system is no longer sufficient.

For Stormers Rugby Director John Dobson, expanding scouting efforts beyond Model C schools and into rural areas is vital for remaining competitive in an increasingly tough global talent market. He noted: 'We need speed, and that is a perfectly objective standard. So, when a guy suddenly appears who runs barefoot at 10.4 and does the triple jump, it becomes a little easier when you hear about him.'

Dobson added that they are now trying to work with secondary schools referred to as non-Model C schools. He expressed the view that they were naive in the past, although the Varsity Cup opened some doors, there are many talents in the southwestern and southeastern parts of South Africa that escape the attention of major rugby institutions, such as those at New Orleans Secondary or Kasselsvlei.

Dobson also pointed to a change in the profile of elite athletes, noting that recent Springbok squads feature fewer graduates from traditional elite schools compared to previous decades. For David, born in Bonnievale, this contract changes his life. Before securing a professional agreement, he lived on informal support, working in the municipality to make ends meet while playing club rugby for Robertson Town in Boland.

Dobson emphasized the significance of this event: 'You change someone's life here.' He mentioned that David's agent, Shafik Mouton (from F7 Sports Management), used to help him with extra food in the evenings when he first started with them, and now he has a professional contract. He hopes this story will serve as an example for other players aspiring to similar opportunities.

Nevertheless, transforming raw athletic power into professional rugby understanding remains a complex learning process. Dobson recalled David's first conditioning training session with the team, where his explosive athleticism met the harsh reality of professional endurance. During the Bronco test, he started very powerfully, but his strength waned towards the end, requiring further work on physical fitness and conditioning.

Stormers captain Ruhan Nel supported Dobson's opinion, highly praising David's explosive athletic base but acknowledging that he still needs to master technical aspects. Nel stated: 'He is an incredible athlete. He jumped off the blocks in this Bronco, but towards the end his legs got a bit heavy. The speed is definitely there, but he is very raw. He needs to learn many nuances, which is great because he will absorb them in this environment.'

Nel added that the team wants him to feel confident on the field, whether it's catching contact, handling high balls, or understanding defensive transitions. He concluded that modern teams are very smart, and excessive front-line protection can lead to vulnerability in the back. However, if David masters the basics and gets onto a big stage, he will undoubtedly become a fan favourite.