Stormers to wrap Springbok star up in cotton wool

Stormers coach John Dobson has intimated that the team won’t be asking Springbok star Manie Libbok to do the heavy lifting in upcoming matches.

Dobson said that it would take a fair bit of management to see his side through the coming URC and Champions Cup fixtures.

The Stormers have returned home following a four-week United Rugby Championship trip and are prepared to play Zebre Parma in a Round Seven match in Stellenbosch on Saturday.

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STORMERS HAVE TO BOX CLEVER

They will then fly to England to face Leicester Tigers in their first Champions Cup fixture next Sunday before returning to Cape Town for a Saturday meeting against defending European Champions La Rochelle.

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Dobson has suggested that he will not be sending a full-strength team to England to take on Handre Pollard and company.

“One of the lessons from last year came when we played Exeter away in a [Champions Cup] quarterfinal and then we came back here and played Munster at home [in the URC],” the coach said.

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“Munster were in Cape Town before us and that is problematic.

“We will probably be strategic around the Leicester game, so maybe not everybody goes [to England] just because of the six-day turnaround.

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“We are going to get back on the Tuesday and then play the two-time European Champions on Saturday afternoon at Cape Town Stadium.

“It’s definitely not going to be ‘full metal jacket’ for one team. It will more likely be a 50-50 for Leicester,” said the Stormers’ fundi.

“Probably the guy who is definitely playing La Rochelle would stay behind.

“It would probably be a strategic selection, but it is not an A or B [team].

“You have to be realistic. You can’t ask a guy like Ruben van Heerden to play Leicester for 80 minutes on a Sunday afternoon and come and do the same thing six days later via Doha in economy class against the European champions.

“Strategic calls will have to be made. Maybe a hybrid [team] against Leicester and then ‘full metal’ against La Rochelle.

“That is pretty much where we are at the moment.”

SPRINGBOK STARS TO BE MANAGED

Dobson pointed to Manie Libbok as one of the players who will need managing for the Stormers.

“We got to be slightly careful given that they have been off and by all accounts relaxing pretty hard for a while,” Dobson explained.

“It’s more about not pushing a Manie Libbok through 80 minutes.

The Stormers coach added: I think they do need to get some rust off, but maybe not all of them.

“I don’t think they can go from nought to 80 minutes.

“We have to be pretty clever with our selection, but I am not going to keep them in cotton wool and then throw them into a Leicester or La Rochelle game.

“I think they need this kind of game [against Zebre] to get them back into proper rugby.”