An injury to Ruan Ackermann that is likely to keep him out of rugby for several weeks has been a big blow to the DHL Stormers’ plans for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup third round clash with Harlequins in London.
As anticipated, Dobson has mixed up the team for this game due to the logistical challenge of having to play their home game against Leicester Tigers at DHL Stadium just six days later.
There is one new cap in the starting team and another three on the bench as he continues to spread his selection net.
Not all the star players have been left behind in Cape Town - Springbok blindside flank Ben-Jason Dixon will wear the No 7 jersey while World Cup winner Damian Willemse will captain the side from inside centre with Suleiman Hartzenberg as his midfield partner, while Warrick Gelant will be in his normal position at fullback.
Dylan Maart is on the one wing and has made waves in his first few games for the Stormers while on loan from Griquas, while Jurie Matthee has been the more regular Stormers flyhalf this season and in the wet weather anticipated for the game he could prove the match winner he was against the Bulls in a wet weather game at Loftus last season.
However it is at forward that the Stormers boast the most depth at present and Ackermann, who was outstanding on the openside flank against the Bulls last week, was initially going to play in this game and had an important role to play in what should be a highly physical game. Unfortunately that won’t happen now as Ackermann has sustained a neck injury.
“Ruan has a bulging disc in his neck, which can be a finite injury but normally it means you are out for three months or it can be a bit longer. It can be a bit quicker, because Louw Nel had it and he was back within nine weeks, which is the best case scenario,” said Dobson.
Our team for the Investec Champions Cup Round Three clash in London on Sunday afternoon.
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 9, 2026
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/B8ADTVykI1
📺 @SuperSportTV #HARvSTO #inittogether pic.twitter.com/DY0PKWuXfl
UNHAPPY WITH CAPE TOWN PLAYING SURFACE
The Stormers have plenty of depth at lock but Adre Smith, who has been excellent off the bench this season, sustained an infection to his knee courtesy of what Stormers coach John Dobson wasn’t shy to label a questionable DHL Stadium field that he is very disappointed with, with Smith apparently not the only player carrying the effects of playing on the surface.
The problem with the playing surface has arisen after the City of Cape Town, who own the stadium, let it out for a Moto-cross event a week after the Cape Town Sevens, but Dobson made it clear he was unhappy even before that.
It is clearly something the Stormers, as the main stadium tenants, need to take up with the city, as is the number of games the Stormers have to move to other venues because of a clash with other stadium events.
But the quality of the field is next week’s issue, when the Stormers host Leicester, right now the biggest challenge facing the Stormers is a fired up Harlequins team who would have been rocked by the public dissatisfaction of their CEO and chairman, who together put out a strongly worded statement last weekend stating they weren’t happy with performances.
Dobson has rightly noted that Harlequins made it clear after a recent loss to Sale Sharks that they were going to focus on the Champions Cup going forward ahead of the Premiership, a decision many clubs/teams make in either direction at this stage of their campaigns.
“Harlequins clearly are desperate. They said two weeks ago that they felt their Premiership challenge had sailed, so the Northampton result (Harlequins lost heavily in that game) didn’t surprise me,” said Dobson.
“We know from past experience that desperate teams are always dangerous so their situation is a real threat to us.”
DOBSON SPREADS PLAYER NET TO 47
Indeed, and with Dobson having now extended the number of players to take the field for the Stormers this season to 47, with the four debutants being starting wing Luke Burger, lock Alex Groves, reserve loose-forward Wandile Mlaba and reserve wing Mfundo Ndhlovu, while starting openside flank Louw Nel will be playing his first game of the season.
Experienced scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage is partnering Matthee at halfback with the promising Imad Kahn backing up, while Vernon Matongo, who has done well for the Stormers, returns to the stadium where he made his debut 13 months ago as a member of the bench.
He will be alongside Bok veteran hooker Scarra Ntubeni as he watches the start of the game from the side of the field.
He is in that role because the Stormers are starting with Oli Kebble at loosehead on the occasion of his 50th game for the Stormers.
He made his debut back in 2014 and on Sunday @olikebble will play his 50th match for our team. #oil #inittogether pic.twitter.com/63FuY9ItDe
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 9, 2026
While there is enough experienced mixed with the newcomers seeing the team on paper does suggest the hosts, despite their recent travails, should start the game as clear favourites to register a much needed win but for the Stormers a losing bonus point would be seen as a win provided they return to Cape Town without having any of their clutch of first choice players added to the injury list.
DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Dylan Maart, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Damian Willemse (captain), Luke Burger, Jurie Matthee, Dewaldt Duvenage, Marcel Theunissen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Louw Nel, Ruben van Heerden, Connor Evans, Zachary Porthen, Lukhanyo Vokozela, Oli Kebble.
Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Vernon Matongo, Hencus van Wyk, Alex Groves, Wandile Mlaba, Imad Khan, Clinton Swart, Mfundo Ndhlovu.