The Stormers' 52-40 victory over the Scarlets at DHL Stadium on Saturday descended into what Director of Rugby John Dobson described as a bizarre afternoon, with the Cape Town side losing all three hookers during the contest and facing a selection crisis ahead of their Round Five clash against Ulster.
Andre-Hugo Venter departed in the 35th minute with what Dobson later confirmed appears to be a relatively serious elbow injury. Lukhanyo Vokozela followed in the second half, failing his head injury assessment and leaving the hosts without a designated number two. The situation worsened when Deon Fourie, the emergency hooker, suffered a hamstring injury, forcing the Stormers to close out the match without specialist front-row cover.
Dobson admitted the franchise now confronts a crisis in the hooking position. "The match itself was absolutely bizarre; I was really pleased that we have a good contingency sheet if you lose both hookers, but I never thought we'd be losing three," Dobson said. "Deon was the third, so to lose all three hookers took away our set-piece, but credit to the team for the way they closed that game out; it was bizarre, but yes, it is a crisis for us."
Dayimani ruled out, Senatla passes HIA
The injury toll extended beyond the front row. Hacjivah Dayimani will be unavailable for the Ulster fixture, though Dobson did not elaborate on the nature of the back-rower's injury. Seabelo Senatla, who crossed for a try before departing early in the second half, passed his concussion test and should be available for selection. Cobus Reinach also passed his head injury assessment and returned to the field.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered a mixed performance at fly-half, showcasing his attacking threat whilst committing several unforced errors. The Springbok playmaker's brilliance on attack helped the Stormers establish a dominant half-time lead, though defensive lapses across the backline allowed the Scarlets to mount a second-half fightback before the hosts regained control.
The Stormers now face a scramble to assemble a functioning front row for Ulster's visit to DHL Stadium. With Venter facing an extended absence and Fourie's hamstring injury adding to the uncertainty, the franchise's depth in the hooking position will be tested to its limit. Whether the Stormers can source emergency cover or promote from within remains the pressing question as they prepare for a Round Five fixture that suddenly carries added selection intrigue.