Stormers utility back Damian Willemse does not mind where he is used as long as he can be on the field and contribute to the team. The Springbok is poised to play in a different role on Saturday in the URC against the Glasgow Warriors.
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He just wants to be on the field — the position he plays in is secondary.
For Damian Willemse, it doesn’t matter where the Stormers or Springboks deploy him; as long as he can play and contribute, the utility back is content.
Willemse, who has effectively added a fourth role in the backline as a winger, continues to be praised for his versatility. The lingering question, though, is when he will return to one of his more familiar positions at fullback or inside centre for the Cape side.
Ahead of a crucial top-of-the-table United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Glasgow Warriors in Cape Town on Saturday (1.45pm start), indications suggest Willemse will start at fullback. He is equally comfortable in the No 12 jersey or at flyhalf.
Most recently, after a tweak to their game plan, he wore the No 14 jersey, but during Wednesday’s Stormers training session, Willemse operated mainly at fullback.
It could mean the Springbok star returns to his World Cup-winning position for the encounter with the Warriors. However, the Stormers will only confirm their side on Friday, in what has been a compact week following the funeral of long-serving team manager Chippie Solomon on Tuesday.
“I’ve said it numerous times, I just want to be on the field, and it doesn’t matter where I’m playing, whether for my club or the national team,” Willemse said on Wednesday.
“Obviously, I’m a bit more comfortable playing at centre. It’s a game I’m far more familiar with. Moving to wing was a different challenge, but an exciting one. We’re looking to create — as I’ve said — the modern game is moving towards versatile players, and I’m learning a new skill set.
“So there isn’t really a preferred position. If you’re on the field, you’re going to be required to catch a high ball, cover the wing, or step into the midfield to defend space. I’ll stress it again — that’s where the modern game is going. With the coaches, we plan for these things; you don’t just arrive on a Monday and get told, ‘you’re going to the wing’.
“We train these positions and skill sets for hours. It was a collective effort from the team to give me that time at wing to learn something new and fulfil that role.”
The Stormers owe themselves and their supporters an improved performance after failing to take any points from their previous match against Connacht. An equally desperate Glasgow side will arrive at DHL Stadium looking to bounce back following a heavy defeat to the Lions in Johannesburg last weekend.
Willemse added that it has been a particularly tough period in the wake of Solomon’s passing, but the squad remains focused on returning to winning ways to keep their URC playoff campaign on track.
They currently sit second on the log and could leapfrog the Warriors with a bonus-point victory, provided they deny the Scottish side a four-try haul and keep them within seven points.
The Stormers know it will be easier said than done, but they are highly motivated to correct last weekend’s errors and deliver a stronger performance on Saturday.