The Stormers celebrated a historic first Champions Cup match at home with a bonus-point victory, but their mood was dampened with the news that Salmaan Moerat is expected to be out for a long period of time. DYLAN JACK reports.
A memorable occasion, the Stormers scored a try after the hooter to mark their Champions Cup home bow with a comfortable victory, though it came at a big cost.
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Already missing Ernst van Rhyn and Adre Smith to injury, the Stormers suffered another blow in the position they could least afford when Moerat went down after a defensive lineout in the second half.
The early signs were bad as the big lock stayed grounded for a long period of time and was grasping his leg, before being assisted off the field and straight down the tunnel on the medical cart.
“You will remember from Stormers days in the past, there always seemed to be a bad run in a certain position,” coach John Dobson said after the match. “It was at flyhalf a few years ago when Demitri Catrakilis and Kurt Coleman were injured and then a bad scrumhalf run when Dylon Frylinck came in.
“Now it feels like it is some of our big forwards: Salmaan, Ernst and Adre. It was a good win, but it was a big price to pay.”
Dobson was unable to confirm the exact nature of the injury or the length of time that Moerat was expected to be out for, as the lock was still undergoing scans.
The timing of the injury is particularly bad as the Stormers are set to host a rested Vodacom Bulls side in a repeat of last season’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Friday.
“Clearly they are focusing quite a lot on this game,” Dobson said of the Vodacom Bulls. “They remember what happened here a few months ago. There is no doubt what they are about.
“We are excited and we are fighters, no matter what the curveballs are from the injuries. That’s what makes us the Stormers: we are resilient. We spoke about it during the week and we will stand up next week.
“It will be a great game for South African rugby. They are clearly focusing on this game. The ticket sales are going, so we are looking forward to it very much.”
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On the positive side, Dobson did confirm that the Stormers expect centres Dan du Plessis and Alapati Leiua to return from injury in the coming week, while Evan Roos and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will also be assessed for their readiness.
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images
