Stormers look to Dweba in clash with Dragons
Stormers hooker Joseph Dweba has a golden opportunity to prove he is regaining top form and firing on all cylinders when he confronts the Dragons in Gqeberha on Saturday, says assistant coach Rito Hlungwani.
Dweba gave positive signs he is building up a head of steam with a solid all-round display when the Stormers beat the Scarlets in a United Rugby Championship (URC) clash in Cape Town last week.
Hlungwani wants Dweba to put in another strong shift in the Stormers’ engine room against the enterprising Welsh outfit at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (2pm).
“Joseph has not played a lot of rugby,” Hlungwani said. “He travelled overseas with the Boks and got a bit of game time.
“Joseph is one of those guys the coaching staff know we have to be patient with and give him as much game time as possible. We know with more games he will slowly return to his best.
“I spoke to Joseph, and he knows he is not operating at full capacity yet.
“But there have been good signs about what we can see in the near future.”
Hlungwani says the Stormers are preparing for an 80-minute battle against the Welsh side. “I watched them play the Lions last weekend, and we played against them last year,” he said. “The Dragons are a physical team and solid on defence. They have a good tackle technique and are good at chopping the legs.
“We know we are up for a tough challenge this weekend, but we will be well prepared. They could have a few Welsh international players coming into the side as well.
“From a lineout point of view they are a very good contesting team, and they work hard on their maul stops.
“We know we are not going in just for a match but for a fight. The Stormers will be ready for them, but they are a tough side to break down.”
With several Boks expected* to be rested, prop Neethling Fouche, lock Gary Porter and flyhalf Kade Wolhuter are likely to feature at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
“It’s a very exciting time for the team,” Fouche said.
“We’ve got a few guys who have been training constantly but not getting game time. It’s really tough when you suddenly get your chance; it puts a lot of pressure on the guys.”
With the halfway mark of the season approaching, Leinster have 38 points from eight games, followed by Ulster (30 points from seven games), the Bulls (29 from eight) and the Stormers (29 from seven).