“What Are We Meant To Do?” – Dobson Reacts As Stormers Suffer Brutal Double Scrumhalf Disaster

The Stormers suffered a significant injury setback in their clash against the All Blacks, with scrumhalves Imad Khan and Dewaldt Duvenage both forced from the field with serious injuries.

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson confirmed after the match that Khan suffered a “reasonably serious” knee injury, while veteran Duvenage broke his arm during what was his final appearance for the Cape side.

“Imad has a reasonably serious knee injury. Dewald broke his arm. Brannas (Deon Fourie) has nothing serious,” Dobson said.

The injuries left the Stormers repeatedly having to change their captain on the field, something that even drew the frustration of the match officials.

“It’s funny because the ref kept getting irritated because we kept changing captains, but what are we meant to do if they keep getting injured?” Dobson said.

The biggest concern for the Stormers is the loss of their two scrumhalves, with Dobson admitting that the injuries have left the province facing a challenging situation in that department.

“The two serious ones are unfortunately the two scrumhalves,” he said.

While Duvenage is not expected to be a long-term option for the Stormers, Dobson paid tribute to the 40-year-old veteran, who was forced to play almost the entire match before suffering the arm injury.

“Dewald is not a big loss for the future, but I feel for him in his last game where he broke his arm. He did well for a 40-year-old being asked to play almost 76 minutes.”

The Stormers do, however, have options within their Currie Cup ranks, with Stef Ungerer and Ezekiel Ngobeni identified as immediate alternatives should Khan’s injury prove as serious as feared.

“We have two great ones in the Currie Cup in Stef Ungerer and Ezekiel Ngobeni,” Dobson said.

The Stormers could also look to the wider player market if required, while Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach is expected to return to the squad at some stage.

“Further than that, if we have to look for another scrumhalf, we’ll have to look. Then, of course, Cobus Reinach will come back at some stage,” Dobson added.

The double injury blow was an unfortunate consequence of a bruising encounter for the Stormers, who were eventually beaten by the All Blacks after remaining competitive for large periods of the contest.

As Dobson acknowledged, losing two scrumhalves in a single match was something the Stormers could hardly have planned for.

“You don’t count on two going down in one game.”