Dobson explains Damian Willemse’s surprise wing switch as Stormers brace for Edinburgh

Willemse, widely regarded as one of the most versatile backs in South African rugby, has built his reputation across multiple positions, including full-back, fly-half and centre. However, his selection on the right wing for the clash at Cape Town Stadium raised eyebrows, particularly with the Springbok replacing a specialist in that role.

Dobson admitted the call was unconventional and likely to attract scrutiny, especially given the number of changes made to the starting XV following a short turnaround from the previous week's win over the Dragons. But the Stormers boss insisted the decision was grounded in strategy - and shaped in part by Willemse himself.

"Firstly, it was a collaboration with Damian and ourselves, looking at how Edinburgh play with kicking contestables," Dobson explained. "He looked at how Edinburgh play and what they bring, and he actually came to us and said, 'What are we going to do about it?'"

The Stormers are preparing for a heavy aerial battle, with Edinburgh expected to lean heavily on their kicking game - particularly in evening conditions.

"We're expecting a very big contestable kicking game," Dobson said. "Edinburgh are in last-chance saloon and I think if you come to play the Stormers at seven o'clock at night in autumn, it's going in the air. And that's what we have to be ready for."

Central to the decision is Willemse's aerial ability, which Dobson believes makes him ideally suited to contest high balls - an increasingly important facet of the modern game.

"Also, we've done a lot of work with our contestable game. I think one of the rewards that we got last week was the amount of scraps we won, how we did there," he added.

The Stormers have also tweaked their back-three structure, allowing for greater fluidity between roles.

"We've changed the system there, where the full-back and wings roles are slightly different," Dobson explained. "Now, there are variations you can do around that, which might require the wing to get in the air. That role has become a little bit more interchangeable than it was."

According to Dobson, Willemse is uniquely equipped for that responsibility.

"There is nobody better than Damian in that role."

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