Theunissen being ‘pushed to the limits’
THE Stormers would have celebrated the return to fitness of Hacjivah Dayimani and Ben-Jason Dixon this week, but what’s the best loose trio for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Ospreys at Cape Town Stadium (7.15pm kick-off)?
The Stormers are in fifth spot on the log with 39 points, and can’t afford to slip up if they want to host a quarter-final, semi-final and final.
Coach John Dobson would have been a relieved man to see all captain Salmaan Moerat and loose forwards Dayimani and Dixon back in the mix after they sustained concussions in the Champions Cup last-16 loss to La Rochelle a few weeks ago.
But now Dobson faces a selection conundrum in the loose trio for what will be a serious test of their abilities against an Ospreys back row boasting the outstanding Welsh fetcher Justin Tipuric and No 8 Morgan Morris.
Getting the balance in the loose trio just right will be vital for the Cape side to win the breakdown battle in the absence of the injured veteran Deon Fourie. Evan Roos was superb at No 8 in a losing cause against La Rochelle, but he has also been used at blindside flank at times this season.
The same applies to Dayimani, who is also better suited to the back of the scrum, while Dixon has pushed hard to be the first-choice blindside flank with his tireless displays in the No 7 jersey. One would think that Nama Xaba would be a more like-for-like replacement for Fourie as an openside flank, but the Stormers coaches have also said this season that Roos is an option at No 6 as well.
The robust Willie Engelbrecht has also been used in that role at times this season, but is more of a direct ball carrier than a fetcher.
Another quality operator is Marcel Theunissen, who has the knack of being able to play across the loose trio.
He is a balanced runner with ball in hand, but is also not shy to get stuck in on the ground to win possession.
Theunissen has made 14 appearances for the Stormers across competitions this season, and is hungry for more.
“The competition among the loose trio is and will always be fiercely tough, which drives me to continuously improve and push myself to my limits,” the 24-year-old told the Stormers website this week.
“My approach is to focus on incremental improvement, aiming to be better than I was yesterday, and consistently putting in the hard work across all aspects of the game.
“The Ospreys are performing well in the URC, and are currently on a strong trajectory. We’ll need to be well organised and bring our A-game.
“Competing against the best is always a valuable opportunity to measure my skills and game.
“I would eagerly seize the chance with both hands, and give my best effort.
“The downtime (last week after the La Rochelle match) was beneficial for our team to recharge and bond, preparing us for the demanding weeks leading into the play-offs.
“As the URC log is tightly contested, it’s vital that we deliver strong performances, not just for ourselves but also for the people of Cape Town.”