Jean de Villiers is wary that the Stormers are signing too many Springboks ahead of next season, while taking a dig at another rumoured addition to the squad.
The Cape-based franchise confirmed the return of double Rugby World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe earlier this week, with the speedster’s signature coming after the additions of fellow Springboks Wilco Louw and Siya Kolisi.
Three Springboks sign for Stormers
De Villiers has likened the new additions to the squad to what the Sharks did a few seasons ago when they brought the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Kolisi, Andre Esterhuizen, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, and other Boks to Durban. While that did help the side clinch a Challenge Cup title, the Durbanites have struggled for consistency in the United Rugby Championship, particularly when their star men are on international duty.
The former Springboks centre and captain warns that the Stormers could be falling into a similar trap with the additions of Louw, Kolisi, and Kolbe.
“Those are three big signings,” De Villiers said on The Verdict podcast.
“I suppose for the unions, it’s the return on investment that’s really important. If you look at some of the guys at the Sharks currently it’s the big names are big for your club, but then they have to play as well.
“In saying that, I think there is obviously a social media element as well, where they come with a big following and suddenly that following comes to your franchise.”
Fellow Springboks legend Schalk Burger agreed that the three additions are big for the Stormers but added that it was at lock where the side “are looking a bit thin for the foreseeable future.”
“Look, they have lost Salmaan Moerat and Ruben van Heerden. So that’s where they probably want to shore up a bit, but there has been chat about Tomas Lavanini coming,” ex-hooker Hanyani Shimange replied.
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Dig at Tomas Lavanini
Los Pumas lock Lavanini is another player who has been linked with a move to the Stormers, with the experienced second-rower set to leave the Highlanders at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
While the 33-year-old is renowned for being a powerful lock, he does have a habit of regularly visiting the sin bin. In fact, he is the most carded player in the modern era of international rugby.
“So how’s the ROI on that guy on playing time on the field versus off the field?” De Villiers joked with Burger, also taking a dig at Lavanini, adding: “I reckon part of your weekly management will be around playing with 14 players on the pitch.”
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Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said that the club is trying to strike the right squad balance and admits that they have probably made their last big signing.
“We know the Springboks generate a lot of money for South African rugby and the whole ecosystem, but you don’t want the ecosystem to sort of crumble as well; it’s a very fine balancing act,” he told reporters.
“So it’s definitely not a model of massive acquisitions. These are two sons of the Cape who are making a reasonable sort of sacrifice to come back here, but that’s the limit, the rest is around the growth and the retention of what we’ve currently got.”
READ MORE: Stormers project is ‘beyond’ Siya Kolisi but Springboks captain has ‘earned the right’ as John Dobson pinpoints ‘limit’
