Stormers coach John Dobson knows exactly what plans to put in place to compensate for the possibility of big ball-carrier Evan Roos being unavailable for the start of the new Vodacom URC season.
Dobson had previously resisted bringing Gloucester loose forward Ruan Ackermann back to South Africa despite the player’s incessant requests to join the franchise.
But he ultimately relented and offered him a contract — primarily as injury insurance and cover for powerhouse No 8 Evan Roos, who is expected to be with the Springboks for the remainder of the year.
“Ruan’s core job will be to cover for Evan,” the Stormers boss told the media.
“I didn’t know Ruan from Adam and for three or four years, he’s asked to come to the Stormers. And every time I’ve said no. I’m always very keen on guys who come from here [the Western Cape]. But his desperation to play for this club, just meant a lot to us,” he added.
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With Roos on national duty and Ackermann now in the fold, Dobson suddenly finds himself spoilt for choice in the back row. Adding to the good news that Ben-Jason Dixon has committed to the franchise until 2027, following the resolution of an arbitration process that had cast doubt on his availability.
This opens the door for a potentially explosive loose trio that Dobson admits he’d love to see in action together.
“We could end up with Ruan at 6, BJ at 7 and Evan at No 8 if you wanted to be really physical with Paul [de Villiers] and Marcel [Theunissen] coming off the bench.
Roos has been the Stormers’ go-to weapon in recent seasons, often playing the full 80 minutes and taking on a heavy workload in both attack and defence. That’s a trend Dobson is looking to ease this season, thanks to the added depth Ackermann brings.
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“There is also the option of Ruan and Evan sharing game time, because we were going to injure Evan if we carried on playing him for 80 minutes and asking him to do what we did.
“I would say Ruan is always in the [matchday] 23. There’s also the option of BJ at No.4 while Salmaan [Moerat] is away”, the Stormers Director of Rugby added.
With the Stormers having to go on their European tour early in their season, Dobson now seemingly has enough depth to be able to rotate his big men without sacrificing physicality or intensity.
Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Gallo Images
The post Dobbo reveals Roos’ replacement appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
