Spectators see the flashy side-steps and deft touches but what makes Stormers playmaker Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok and Warrick Gelant so special is their obsession with rugby.

So says Stormers coach John Dobson, who hopes the trio hold the key to unlocking Connacht’s gritty defence in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on 26 February.

The Stormers are four games unbeaten following a commanding 32-10 bonus-point win over the Lions at Ellis Park this past Saturday, during which the much-anticipated selection of Willemse at inside centre ignited the Cape side’s attack in tandem with Gelant and Libbok, who also bagged 10 points.

“We are very lucky with those three players,” Dobson said. “The challenge has been how to fit them. They are obsessed with rugby and talk about it all the time.

“People see the stepping and the flash but they are constantly talking. They are really thinking about rugby. The way they work together. They are special.

“We see a lot of the stepping and flash from all of them, but they are constantly communicating with each other on the field. That’s why we’ve started winning territory more consistently, like against the Lions. 

“They really think about their game and are looking for space in various ways, even with the boot.

“They’re special and the way they work together is special.”