Stormers sweat on Willemse and Zas after training collision ahead of Cardiff quarter-final

Damian Willemse and Leolin Zas are both racing against time to be fit for the Stormers’ URC quarter-final against Cardiff on Saturday after the pair collided heavily during a training run, with both players requiring hospital scans to assess the extent of their injuries. Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also left the session early, deepening the Stormers’ injury concerns ahead of the knockout tie.

Head coach John Dobson described the moment of impact in stark terms, saying the two players struck each other at approximately 100 kilometres per hour before both were left on the ground for several minutes.

“I hate watching practice on a Wednesday. I try not to watch,” Dobson told CapeTalk. “And then when I looked up, I just saw Zas and Damian hit each other at 100 k’s an hour, and then two bodies lying there for long minutes.”

Willemse is a key figure in the Stormers’ backline and a regular in the Springbok setup, while Zas has been one of the more dangerous finishers in the URC this season. Losing either player — let alone both — would represent a significant blow to Cape Town’s prospects in the quarter-final.

The nature of the incident, a freak collision between teammates rather than a contact drill, underlines how quickly preparation can unravel in the final days before a knockout match. Dobson and his medical staff will now wait on the results of the scans before making any decisions on selection.

Cardiff, who qualified for the quarter-finals as one of the Welsh representatives in the competition, will be aware of the uncertainty surrounding the Stormers’ backline and may look to exploit any disruption to the hosts’ preparations.

No timeline has been given for when the scan results are expected, leaving the Stormers with limited time to adjust their plans should either Willemse or Zas — or Feinberg-Mngomezulu — be ruled out before Saturday’s kick-off.