Stormers coach, John Dobson, knows exactly what plans to put in place to compensate for his big ball-carrier Evan Roos possibly being unavailable for the initial part of the new Vodacom URC season.
Dobson had previously resisted bringing former Lions and 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 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
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 No.6, BJ at No.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.
