The Stormers are placing their faith in Warrick Gelant’s attacking instincts and composure under pressure as they prepare for Friday night’s high-stakes Vodacom URC clash against Ulster in Belfast.
Coach John Dobson shifted Damian Willemse to inside centre and restored Gelant to fullback for the Round 17 encounter at the Affidea Stadium, backing the mercurial playmaker to guide the Stormers through what promises to be a bruising northern hemisphere examination.
Dobson believes Gelant’s value stretches far beyond highlight-reel moments. The Stormers mentor painted the selection as a calculated tactical call rather than a gamble loaded with risk.
“No, I think it’s been a relatively simple one,” said Dobson.
“I’m absolutely convinced. I just checked with Deon. It’s going to be a very tricky one out there. We know what people feel about Warrick and out there. We’ve probably got a different perspective as coaches.”
Dobson pointed to Gelant’s performances against the Bulls and Toulon as proof that the fullback can blend structure with creativity like a jazz musician following the rhythm before unleashing a solo.
“If you looked at Warrick’s game against the Bulls or Warrick’s game against Toulon, absolutely superb. Exactly what we need in terms of sticking to a plan.”
The Stormers coach also highlighted Willemse’s industrious display at fullback against Glasgow, praising the Springbok utility back for the unseen work that often forms the steel framework beneath attacking rugby.
“Absolutely superb. Exactly what we need in terms of sticking to a plan.” John Dobson explains why @WarrickGelant gets the nod at fullback for the @THESTORMERS against @UlsterRugby
in Belfast.#VodacomURC #Stormers https://t.co/LpwG4e0QMw pic.twitter.com/gDaWiSAJrc— Adnaan Mohamed (@Adnaan1111) May 7, 2026
“I don’t think we saw any X-factor from Damian that day. We saw him cover close to eight kilometres and some amazing work off the ball in backfield cover.”
Gelant’s outing against Connacht drew scrutiny after two costly moments under pressure, though Dobson insisted those incidents overshadowed an otherwise strong performance.
“There were two things. He did that chip, which I could argue was on, but probably not part of the plan we would need for tomorrow,” Dobson explained.
“And obviously the one where they chip back and the ball bounced between him and Steph, there’s two high-impact moments that obviously didn’t help Warrick’s reputation.”
Dobson remained adamant that Gelant’s positioning, counter-attacking ability and defensive organisation make him central to the Stormers’ tactical blueprint in Belfast.
“In terms of his basic positioning, the ability to drive the team forward, his backfield cover and his contest was really good.
“A strong message to the team and not only to Warrick, is that this is the plan and the template we need to play for.”
Deon Fourie leads Stormers into Belfast battle as playoff heat rises
Stormers team
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Wandisile Simelane, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Bench: 16 Paul de Villiers, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Keke Morabe, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Ulster Team
15 Michael Lowry, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ethan McIlroy, 12 Jude Postlethwaite, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Cormac Izuchukwu, 5 Charlie Irvine, 4 Iain Henderson (c), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 James McCormick, 1 Angus Bell.
Bench: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Bryn Ward, 21 Conor McKee, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Wilhelm de Klerk.
