There is ‘no doubt’ that Willemse is a special addition to Stormers’ attack

AGE IS not the issue with Damian Willemse. The Stormers flyhalf may be only 19, but he has the backing of coach Robbie Fleck.

And judged on the mentor’s comments this week, Willemse looks set to pull on the No 10 jumper and duel it out in the highstakes Super Rugby quarter-final against the Chiefs at Newlands on Saturday.

Willemse has shown enough skill and flair to be considered ready for the hurly-burly of playoffs rugby.

“I think he’s been outstanding. He’s certainly brought a different dynamic to our attack, he brings a lot of energy and he’s a tough boy. We’ve got no problem selecting him against the Chiefs – it doesn’t matter what his age is – the boy is performing,” said Fleck.

“We need to keep backing him. We believe in him and he’s got belief in himself and the players around him enjoy him.”

“If we look at his general play and his ability to play the game… no doubt, no doubt there.”

That is the backing a special talent like Willemse, pictured, needs – the kind of backing that shows trust in his ability to put his prowess on show against one of the best attacking sides.

The young flyhalf has started in three games for the Stormers, and although he hasn’t disappointed in any of those, in the minds of some the need for a more experienced campaigner at No 10 for such a big match might trump the 19-year-old’s satisfying performances.

Against the Cheetahs, the Stormers’ coaching team eased him into his first start by not assigning the goal-kicking duties to him, and against the Sunwolves, that responsibility was added to his list as well.

It was the same against the Bulls at Loftus at the weekend, and it should be said his goal-kicking should improve.

But he offers way more. And the desire or the need for a more a “more experienced campaigner” shouldn’t beat everything Willemse has to offer. Because he offers so much more.

Willemse is a special addition to the Stormers’ attack.

Remember that cameo appearance in Port Elizabeth against the Kings when Willemse made his debut for the Stormers? When he created more magic in three minutes than most players had in the whole game? After that, we heard those who doubted the fresh-outof-school talent say things like “Ja but he did that against poor opposition” or “we’ll see if he can do that against bigger teams with a tighter defence”. Fast forward a few months, and he showed he is not just a star for the small stage.

Against the Cheetahs, he was outstanding on attack with his dummy passes, his line breaks and his support play. He didn’t shy away when it came to the grittier parts of the game either – he got stuck in and he made his tackles. And when it came to his kicks for touch, he carved off some good distance even when he didn’t have much of an angle to work with.

Against the Sunwolves, he was in top form again with his attacking brilliance and faultless decision-making, though against the Bulls he made a number of handling errors, but so did many of his team-mates, while he again did not disappoint with his exit kicks, his defensive work and the way he controlled the game.

He hasn’t done much that can be faulted. In fact, the only tare of concern is his goal-kicking.

But even considering that, it’s not like his kicking is as poor as the contributions some flyhalves make in certain parts of their game (like those who are star goal-kickers, and it just about ends there).

Besides, Willemse’s goal-kicking can be worked on. And if the Stormers are set on protecting him or giving those duties to someone else on Saturday, there’s SP Marais or even Cheslin Kolbe to handle attempts at posts.