Dobson unfussed about playing newly-minted Boks ahead of tour: 'They're available and keen'

With Springbok management announcing earlier in the week that Springbok tour inductees would be withdrawn from United Rugby Championship (URC) squads this weekend, it was curious to see Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu picked for the Stormers.

The Stormers duo are part of the main squad that leaves for Ireland on Saturday evening, and with a game against the Lions at 16:00 on Saturday, confusion reigned in the press conference with John Dobson as he named his side for the derby.

According to Dobson, the Stormers were only made aware of five players who would not be available for them - Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Salmaan Moerat and Damian Willemse.

"We've always worked on the premise that those five guys would be unavailable and everyone else was available," said Dobson.

READ | A sales pitch and first impressions: How Sacha Mngomezulu made Springbok tour roster

The burning question was how a game late in the afternoon could potentially get in the way of their Dublin itinerary.

Dobson said: 

The Stormers are represented by 14 players across both squads (nine in the so-called main group), and that is where we find Libbok and Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Dobson said the inclusion of the two players was met with positivity within the team.

"They're all pleased with each other. It's a really good feeling."

Teams:

Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Quan Horn, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Emmanuel Tshituka, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel (captain), 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 PJ Botha, 1 JP Smith

Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Morgan Naude, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Sibusiso Sangweni, 21 Morne van dern Berg,