Stormers Currie Cup coach hoping returning players can help them bounce back

The Stormers began the Currie Cup with an impressive 25-19 win over the defending Champion Griquas, but fell apart in their second outing in a resounding 41-3 defeat to the Boland Cavaliers.

They have faced somewhat of an injury crisis going into the 2026 season, with several key players starting the campaign on the sidelines, including captain Jean-Luc du Plessis.

Those players are starting to filter back into training, and Dawson-Squibb is hoping they will give the squad a boost ahead of their match against the Sharks on 1 August.

"We've got a few players coming back, so hopefully that'll make a difference," he said.

"I think Jean-Luc du Plessis will be back, Suleiman Hartzenberg is back and fit, as well as Joel Leotlela, Ezekiel Ngobeni, Ollie Reid, Danie Kruger and Louw Nel. So there are options from a selection point of view.

"We're obviously playing a different opposition on a different ground, and I'd like to think we'll bounce back from this."

Dawson-Squibb admitted the team needs to improve quickly in several areas if they are going to compete in the Currie Cup this season.

"We need to be better. The easiest thing to say is select a different team, but you've got what you've got, and I'm confident in the guys that we've got enough in the tank," he said.

"We need to be better; we need to change one or two things. I'm obviously frustrated at the moment - partly with how we performed and maybe partly with myself. What could we have done differently?

"You always do that as a coach. It's easier to sit and blame the players, but I'm not going to do that."

The players will have some high-quality and intensity training in the week leading up to the match, with the Currie Cup squad linking up with their United Rugby Championship counterparts this week as the latter prepare for their clash against the All Blacks on 7 August.

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