Silky Stormers switch tact after selecting changed side: 'We're here to compete, not entertain'

The travel and injury toll was always going to catch up with the Stormers at some point.

Try as he may, Stormers head coach John Dobson could not keep selecting his preferred 23 every week while juggling long layovers in Dubai, bus rides from London to Dublin and trips to Europe and back every week this and last month.

Juggling the twin European competitions, the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup, in tandem has taken a toll on SA's franchises, but the Stormers have managed to put up a fight, managing second position and a home playoff in each, respectively.

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Dobson, who lost Manie Libbok to concussion against London Irish, made a raft of changes that saw the likes of Stefan Ungerer at 9, Jean-Luc du Plessis start at 10, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at 12 and even veteran Juan de Jongh on the bench against Ulster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night.

Captain Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Damian Willemse, Deon Fourie, Leolin Zas, Hacjivah Dayimani and the like remained in South Africa getting a well-earned rest.

However, the team that travelled to Belfast still boasts in-form centre Ruhan Nel, Evan Roos, Willie Engelbrecht, and Springbok Marvin Orie, who captains the outfit.

Dobson said they were in Ireland to compete and not to entertain after making 10 changes to the team that beat Clermont 30-16 in Cape Town last week.

"The players' welfare is a factor. But I can assure you that when we sat down to choose the team, we tried to balance leaving some guys behind to get ready for the Sharks next week and to give others an opportunity," said Dobson.

"But we still want a team that can compete and beat Ulster - I think that's the