Orie boost for UK trip as grateful Stormers avert an injury crisis at lock

The high-flying Stormers breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after being able to include Marvin Orie in their touring squad for a two-match UK tour commencing on Sunday.

The influential Springbok lock had to go off in the latter stages of this past weekend's 40-8 URC win over the Lions for a head injury assessment following a blow to the head.

With concussion protocols dictating that a player must allow for a recovery of at least seven days, there were fears that his potential absence could trigger an injury crisis in the second row.

The Stormers are already without Salmaan Moerat, Gary Porter, Ernst van Rhyn and Adre Smith as options at lock.

In fact, head coach John Dobson had even intimated after the Lions triumph that the Cape franchise might need to have a look at the market to bolster depth if the injury curse continued.

READ | Stormers sizzle in 2022: Overcoming the odds to become SA rugby's benchmark side

"We’ve gone really thin at lock and if we have any more issues there we might have to look at bolstering our resources," he said.

21-year-old Simon Miller, a former Junior Springbok who can double up at lock and blindside flank, has been included though in what is ostensibly cover for Orie.

Several other key Bok players aren't going on tour, notably Frans Malherbe, Evan Roos and Herschel Jantjies, but there are a few exciting returnees to lift what is already a buoyant mood within the camp.

Prodigy playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is back along with canny halfback Stefan Ungerer.

"We have two tough games in conditions vastly different to what we have experienced at home in the last month, so this will be a real test for us.

"There are some experienced players missing through injury, but we are excited to see what the