The Stormers’ struggles at the breakdown were laid bare by the Ospreys, and although a shake-up of the loose trio is on the cards for their match against Leinster on Saturday, fetcher Nama Xaba should stay in the No 6 jersey for the rest of the season.
Xaba was one of the few forwards who could walk with his head held high off the pitch this past weekend as he worked tirelessly on defence and in attack to make a valuable contribution in his time playing.
In the absence of the injured Deon Fourie, who is out for the rest of the season, the Stormers can’t afford not to have a fetcher on the field in their remaining clashes, especially against Leinster this weekend (kick-off 7.05pm).
Although plagued by injuries frequently, the 26-year-old Xaba has hardly let the Cape side down on the field.
On Saturday, during his playing minutes, it was the same. He pounced like a hawk on the breakdown balls of the Ospreys and won a couple of turnover penalties and possession. And someone playing to the ball was something the Stormers missed when they took on La Rochelle in the Champions Cup.
Fourie played – after returning from an injury – just to be injured during the quarter-final again. And there was no Xaba on the bench, and for the rest of the clash, the French side lived a relatively easy life at the breakdowns that gave them momentum on the attack to seal the victory.
A couple of weeks before that game, when Xaba returned to the fold against Edinburgh, he was back to his old self, stealing balls when he stuck his head in at the breakdown. It was the same story on Saturday.
He made only his fourth start of the season after featuring in March last before he got the axe again when Fourie returned from injury. But now is the time for the Stormers to keep faith in him.
The Cape side was poor at ruck time against the Ospreys, but Xaba was at the forefront with steals. Why he was replaced early in the second half is another question, because he was one of the best forwards on the field.
Yes, the Stormers added bulk with the subs, but they did not affect the defensive breakdown as much as he did. And without the grunt of loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon and lock Salmaan Moerat at the ruck, the Stormers looked ordinary during the loss.
A loose trio of Xaba, Dixon and No 8 Evan Roos should be balanced enough to handle Leinster.
No other Stormers player is as effective as Xaba when it comes to getting turnovers at a tackle or ruck. And those turnovers are what the team thrives on, whether they counter with their brilliant backline or win a penalty to kick the ball towards the corner flag for a rolling maul.