Stormers boss issues Frans Malherbe update as Springboks prop suffers fresh setback
Springboks prop Frans Malherbe and an inset of Stormers boss John Dobson.
Stormers boss John Dobson has provided an update on Springboks tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, who has been sidelined since April last year.
The double Rugby World Cup-winning front-rower has been recovering from a back injury that threatened his career and resulted in him missing the entirety of the 2025 international season.
There have been fears that the 34-year-old would not recover from the injury, but Dobson says that the prop is still working his way back to full fitness.
Frans Malherbe update
However, Malherbe has suffered another setback on his road to returning to action. The Stormers director of rugby revealed as much ahead of the Cape Town-based side’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Sharks this weekend.
“Frans reminded me very directly this week he’s doing rehab every day, which he is,” Dobson told reporters when asked for an update on the veteran prop.
“He’s made a lot of progress with the neck and the back, but he’s actually just got another setback with his hip. They’re not sure if it’s related.
“He’s not changing direction yet, but he’s running at full speed and that’s normally a month or two. But he’s rehabbing properly. It’s all about the nerve and the pain. He’s not scrumming yet, so he’s not certain. But from the running and his general shape, he’s looking good.”
In his absence, Zachary Porthen has broken into the Stormers set-up and subsequently the Springboks squad, with the youngster making his Test debut against Japan in November.
Fellow Bok Neethling Fouche has also filled Malherbe’s void in the starting XV, and Dobson hopes that he will have a more successful day at the office against the Sharks this weekend after a tough outing against Leicester Tigers last time out.
“Neetas had a very tough day at the office last week,” Dobson admitted.
“Maybe one or two of the referee’s calls went against us, but on reflection, we probably expected a bit more from our starting front-row.
“So it’s not so much about the Sharks, but about us putting the pressure on earlier. You really want the referee to have a clear picture of who’s in charge by the time the subs come on.”
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URC derby matches
This weekend, Dobson has backed Fouche again in the starting XV with Sazi Sandi providing cover from the bench.
Despite airing concerns over the attritional nature of fixtures that lie ahead and those that have just passed, Dobson has selected a strong team to face the Sharks as his side looks to capitalise on their unbeaten start to the URC season.
“We’ve got four really big SA derbies, and we want to go for the shield, just tick that and say ‘Yes, we are the best team in South Africa,'” Dobson explained.
He added: “A local has got a slightly different edge and there’s no way anybody goes in [making wholesale changes]… Let’s say, for example, I don’t want to disrespect anyone, but if a medium Welsh team were coming, we could probably have made eight or nine changes, but you do that for the Sharks in Durban, and you’re disrespecting the local derby.
“People want the most important, the best guys out there. So, you are asking these guys to front up. Back-to-back local derbies are really, really intense.”
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