Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman believes that with Abner van Reenen at flyhalf, the fans can expect a free-flowing game from his team against the Bulls on Saturday.
Van Reenen, 22, will wear the Stormers’ No.10 jumper in the north-south derby at Cape Town Stadium, after first-choice flyhalf Kade Wolhuter was ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury suffered in last weekend’s 33-30 defeat to the Sharks.
With Tim Swiel also on the road to recovery, it is expected that Van Reenen, who played off the bench against the Sharks and set up Damian Willemse’s try with a delightful cross kick, will start the match with Willemse serving as his backup from the fullback position.
Asked about what Van Reenen does differently to the 19-year-old Wolhuter, Snyman says: “In a way those two are quite similar.
“Abner has got nice X-factor, he’s got great ability to identify space meaning he can put the ball into space – not just by passing but you would have seen those two attacking kicks he put through [against the Sharks].“He can get the team flowing – every time when he’s training at 10, you can just feel there’s flow in our attack.”
The Stormers are set to name a much-changed side from the one that faced the Sharks, with there still being a question marks over the fitness of lock JD Schickerling (ankle) and the availability of wing Seabelo Senatla and No.8 Willie Engelbrecht.
Senatla and Engelbrecht will both be attending hearings today after getting red-carded against the Sharks.