Wandisile Simelane has grown weary of the constant question tossed his way like a looping pass across the backline: what’s your best position?
After two commanding outings at fullback in the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship opener, the 26-year-old has answered with his performances rather than his mouth.
Thrust into the No 15 jersey after Warrick Gelant’s injury, Simelane has fielded high balls and opposition challenges with the composure of a veteran sweeper, while showing the same attacking spark that once made him a centre to watch.
“My teammates have helped me a lot. Warrick, Dan (du Plessis) and Ruan (Nel), our coaches, the amount of time and energy spent towards the team comes from a place of us all actually wanting to do well,” Simelane said, crediting the men around him for making the shift seamless.
“It sounds very cliché, but when they picked me at 15, the guys around me made it so easy for me to just adapt,” he added, shrugging off any sense that he has reinvented himself single-handedly.
Stormers media man Michael de Vries revealed Gelant has been a sideline mentor, offering both praise and advice as Simelane took his first runs at the back. Like a seasoned veteran guiding a rookie, Gelant’s voice was there every step.
For a player who has drifted in and out of John Dobson’s match-day squad, the move has ironically given Simelane momentum, like a ball finally bouncing his way.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and Cobus Reinach have joined the DHL Stormers squad for their #VURC tour up North ⛈️ pic.twitter.com/RsVwDf2RSy
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 7, 2025
“You only get better as a player when you are playing, and you are playing more regularly. It will help everything. It will help with confidence, it will help with decision-making,” said Simelane, sounding like a player desperate to turn a good start into a permanent run.
He knows the Stormers’ campaign is a long-haul contest, a full season of scrums and rucks before trophies are lifted. But the message was clear: if it’s a choice between more minutes at fullback or fewer in his natural centre role, Simelane will take the open field behind the pack every time.
“If you offer me playing more or playing at centre, it would definitely be to play,” he said with a grin, like a player finally enjoying ball in hand.
