Stormers player ratings: A ‘creative void’ without Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu but ‘Springbok-in-waiting’ and Bomb Squad get the job done
JD Schickerling and Paul de Villiers in action for the Stormers in 2025.
Following a 34-27 victory over the Lions in the United Rugby Championship clash at DHL Stadium on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Stormers.
Backs
15 Warrick Gelant: Had his troubles under the high ball and didn’t get much space in broken field to show his pace and footwork, but Gelant played a part in the first Stormers try. 5
14 Dylan Maart: An excellent catch early on to defuse a Lions high bomb but the visitors did have plenty of joy elsewhere with their kicking game. Maart finished his try nicely, however, and had a couple of other nice touches. 6
13 Wandisile Simelane: Was on the end of a fine move to get the hosts back into the contest in the second period and then made a decent surge after receiving the ball in the wider channels, but it was not a blockbuster display. 6
12 Jonathan Roche: Plenty of hard running throughout and a couple of nice passes out wide in a workmanlike performance, but the Lions stood up well to the Stormers’ physicality – in the first half at least. 6
11 Leolin Zas: Few opportunities to run, and there were issues in dealing with the Lions’ kicking game, although he did provide the assist for Simelane’s try. A game which just did not fall for him enough. 5
10 Jurie Matthee: There was certainly a creative void without Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and the half-backs struggled to control the game in the first half, but they were not helped by their pack. Improved after the break as the Stormers’ replacements made their mark. Ultimately, Matthee is a more than capable stand-in for Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and he showed his worth on Saturday thanks to his accurate goal-kicking. 7
9 Cobus Reinach: A poor first-half, with the Springboks starter being outplayed by his Test team-mate Morne van den Berg, but it was much better in the third quarter as the hosts managed to get on the front-foot. 6
Forwards
8 Evan Roos: A veritable stinker before the interval, with Roos making several errors, including a shocker from the kick-off, but the second period was slightly better, and he won them the game with a vital turnover. That clutch play redeems him somewhat, but it was ultimately a day to forget. 4
7 Marcel Theunissen: Has enjoyed another good season, but the Lions loose forwards brought the physicality, and Theunissen was one of those sacrificed relatively early in the contest. 5
6 Paul de Villiers: Provided the assist for Maart’s score and was a consistent presence in the loose. It probably wasn’t his most impressive display of the season, but it was still enough for him to claim the player of the match award, which shows just how good he has been. He looks a Springbok-in-waiting. 8
5 Ruben van Heerden: Lineout and restarts, two areas in which the Stormers struggled, and was part of the reason why the Lions dominated the first 40 minutes. The physicality of the lock duo was also lacking. 4
4 Salmaan Moerat (c): See Van Heerden. Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus likes Moerat, thanks in part to his leadership, but the technical and physical aspects of his game are not quite working at the moment. 4
3 Neethling Fouché: Apart from one excellent Lions surge, the Stormers had the edge at the scrum in the first half, but it was not enough to keep Fouché on beyond the 46-minute mark. 6
2 André-Hugo Venter: Not completely the hooker’s fault, but he has to take his share of the blame for some of the lineout issues. 4
1 Vernon Matongo: Had a fascinating battle with Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and Matongo just about came out on top. 6
Replacements: John Dobson threw on the Bomb Squad early, and it paid dividends as the forwards finally got some traction against the Lions pack on the gain line. JD Schickerling sorted out the lineout, and his forward team-mates also impressed to give the Stormers the front-foot ball they required to claim a narrow victory. The bench came to the hosts’ rescue. 9