Stormers Rested And Ready For Lions Challenge On The Highveld

For professional sportsmen, a few weeks off can work wonders – offering a chance to recharge and reset before returning to the battlefield. It is with this hope that the Stormers aim to rediscover their early-season form heading into this weekend’s clash against the Lions at Ellis Park.

Stormers attacking coach Dawie Snyman pondered on a two-week break, which allowed the squad to realign their focus going into another South African derby – against the Lions – with the SA Shield Title still up for grabs. 

“We gave the guys off for two weeks,” said Snyman. “It’s important to get away because there is still a lot of rugby. Last week we had quite a full week focusing on Joburg and areas of the game that we can improve.

“These guys have played a lot of rugby, and fitness shouldn’t be a problem. It’s about how they can preserve energy by being clever and how we can work on our training methods, ensuring we can handle a fast game.

“We had a great week last week and are keen to build on it this week,” Snyman added. 

With preparation for the return game against the Lions in full swing, the Stormers will hope to get back to winning ways.

The last time these two sides met, the Stormers were victorious, 34-27 at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, but in truth, the game could have gone either way, and the Stormers were somewhat fortunate that the Lions went into half-time with as slender a lead as they did.

Snyman is under no illusions about the threat the Lions pose and just how tough a challenge they will offer. 

“The Lions have a good balance between a good running game and a good kicking game in terms of exploiting space,” he explained. 

“They got a lot of kicks in behind the Sharks and turned them, which is tough to handle if you have momentum. The Sharks players dropped off, and that’s where the Lions got opportunities, and that’s where we need to be sharp. We can’t allow them that momentum and space.”

Snyman added that the squad numbers and morale were bolstered with the return of several experienced players, something the Stormers will hope counts in their favour, and gives them an added boost going into this stage of the season. 

“The previously injured players (Ruhan Nel, Dan Du Plessis, Jean Luc Du Plessis, and Seabelo Senatla) have started training with us. We’ll make a call on them after Tuesday’s session. Deon Fourie has also been going nicely and has been training with us,” explained Snyman. 

World Cup Winner Fourie has recovered from a bicep injury after being out since early October 2025, and will be reintegrated into the playing XV with an eye on swiftly regaining match fitness.

“We will see where he is and where we can use him,” Snyman said. “Obviously, the first two, three games, he’s not really match fit, but hopefully we can select a team where we bring him up to speed.”

The man affectionately known as ‘Brannas’ offers the squad terrific variation as he covers both hooker and flank and will hopefully offer some reprieve to the workload given to a player considered his understudy, Paul de Villiers. 

“He’s worked hard, and he is tough mentally. He can go to dark places, and he can really push himself. He obviously has a lot of experience and brings strong leadership. It’s not just about relieving workload, it’s about standards in the group,” Snyman reiterated.

After consecutive defeats to the Sharks, the Stormers will hope that, following the break, they are able to reignite their campaign and go on a run that, a few weeks ago, saw them dubbed ‘the most in-form team in World Rugby.’