Mbonambi, Willemse concern for Stormers

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Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi

Bongi Mbonambi and Damian Willemse are the only two injury concerns for the Stormers heading into their next fixture against the Highlanders on Saturday.

Mbonambi suffered a quad injury early in the first half of the Crusaders match and was replaced by Scarra Ntubeni just after the 30-minute mark.

The hooker has gone for scans and will receive feedback on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Willemse took a knock to his leg during the match but will be monitored throughout the week.

Following a taxing 19-19 draw with the Crusaders, the Stormers players kept training to a minimum on Monday, mostly going through analysis and player meetings.

Assistant coach Dawie Snyman said the mood in the dressing room was good as they prepare to take on another New Zealand team.

‘We have taken a lot of confidence from our performance,’ Snyman said. ‘Obviously, we wanted to win but to go against the best team and come from behind and get the points needed for a draw was good. There were a lot of good performances individually from the players as well.’

With the pressure on the Stormers with four games left to secure a place in the playoffs, Snyman added they are more focused on wins than scoring tries.

‘The most important thing is to win games. Whether that is by scoring tries or kicking penalties, that is what you need to do. We are working hard to improve our strike rate. I know the guys are keen to score tries when they run out but it just has not come our way.’

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