Seabelo Senatla boost for Stormers tempered by potential injury blows
· Citizen
The Stormers received a major boost with the availability of injury prone wing Seabelo Senatla for their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinal against Cardiff in Cape Town on Saturday, but that was tempered by potential injury blows to star players Damian Willemse and Leolin Zas.
Willemse and Zas were involved in an ugly training ground collision on Wednesday with both having to be helped off the field, and director of rugby John Dobson said he was worried about the duo due to the reactions of the medical staff.
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The Stormers team will be announced on Friday at midday and that is when we will know if both or either are unavailable, which will make the return of Senatla even more important.
It has been an incredibly frustrating past four seasons for Senatla, who has suffered a slew of injuries and was in a car accident that almost ended his rugby career.
In the team’s first ever URC season Senatla featured 17 times for the Stormers, and played in all three knockouts in helping them lift the trophy.
But since then he has played less than 10 games in every campaign, while he completely missed out on the 2023-24 season due to the car accident.
This season has been no different, with injuries limiting him to five games, all of which he started, but two were cut short due to injury.
Good run ahead?
Senatla will now be desperate for a good run and will hope he can help the Stormers through the play-offs to possibly lift the URC trophy for the second time.
“Looking at the season, it has been a stop-start season for me. But if you look at the bigger picture, we are playing a home quarter-final and I am back again,” Senatla said earlier this week.
“Three years later I have an opportunity to go back into the same frame of mind I was in back then (in 2023 before the accident). I will obviously try and contribute as much as I can to the team and hopefully I will bring energy to the other guys, and lift the energy of those around me. I am very excited.”
Senatla’s last game for the Stormers was their round 13 match against the Dragons in Cape Town, with him missing the next five matches including their 22-16 loss to Cardiff in Wales, which was their last of the pool phase.
If Zas, who is a wing, and utility back Willemse are ruled out of the game, the former Blitzbok star could find himself thrust straight into the action.
“I obviously missed that one (Cardiff game) but heading back to Cape Town after Cardiff we looked at ourselves and we found the energy, knowing the possibilities that lie ahead of us,” said Senatla.
“It is lovely to be back at Cape Town Stadium, it is lovely to play at home and it is lovely to play in front of our people. We are looking forward to the chance to show what we can do.”