‘Slam van the man’: Stormers to get physical with SA-born Edinburgh speedster
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Lock him up: SA-born Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe, right. Picture: Malcolm Mackenzie/ProSports/Shutterstock
The Stormers have a slim plan to stop the dangerous Duhan van der Merwe, one of a klomp locals in the Edinburghunit squad for Saturday’s clash innie Kaap at 5.05pm.
Van der Merwe, known for his power and pace, poses a threat to the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Cape Town Stadium.
The Stormers host Edinburgh in Round 12 of the URC with Dobson’s manne in ninth place on the standings returning from a two-week break, while the Scottish club are fourth and on a three-game winning streak in the competition.
Despite six SA-born players in Edinburgh's group, including former Western Province prop WP Nel and ex-Bulls bruiser Pierre Schoeman, Dobson emphasises controlling broken play to limit Duhan’s impact.
Dobbo says: “What we have to guard against is creating broken play where he is put in possession.
“If he receives a kick and we tackle him so that he ends up on the ground, that's the way it is.
“We have played against European opponents in many games where they have big guys who carry the ball strongly. It’s just about being smart about broken play.
“If we don't provide good protection for our players who have to catch the ball and follow up our kicks poorly, there will be opportunities for him. However, if we do those things right, it won't be a problem.”
DHL Stormers loosehead prop Sti Sithole is determined to make his considerable experience count as the @Vodacom #URC heads towards the business-end of the season. #iamastormer #dhldelivershttps://t.co/RRcWZDBKfw
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 19, 2024
Ex-Free Staters Luan de Bruin and Boan Venter, with former Hurricanes speedster Wes Goosen have also been selected by Ediburgh.
Head coach Sean Everitt adds: “Our returning Scotland internationalists bring quality and experience, and they will travel depending on availability.
“As a team, we’ve spoken about the physicality and belief needed to win in Cape Town, they are the non-negotiables.”
👊💥 Work in the heat.
— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) March 19, 2024
Ben and Paddy doing their extras after today’s field session 😤 pic.twitter.com/1bMi72pAZb