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 offered Gloucester loose forward Ruan Ackermann a contract – primarily as injury insurance and cover for Roos, who’s 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.
Dobson: Malherbe out for long, but not forever
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.