Stormers’ search for speed changes a life

John Dobson hopes new Stormers winger Lleyton Davids’ story will pave the way for more talented players slipping through the net to get a shot at the highest level.

The Stormers were specifically looking for speedsters, which made the ‘Robertson Express’ an attractive signing once they became aware of him by agent Shafiek Mouton.

According to Dobson, the Cape club will now broaden its recruitment beyond traditional Model C schools, and sees the acquisition of 25-year-old Davids as a first step.

“We were interested in finding speed,” the Stormers boss said in a teleconference ahead of Friday’s URC fixture in Edinburgh. “You’ve got a guy who runs 10.3 barefoot and does the triple jump, so that made it easier once we’d heard about him.

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“But I think what we’re trying to do at the Stormers now is get to the secondary school level, the so-called non-Model C schools.

“In the south-west and south-east of South Africa, there’s so much talent that must be slipping through the net. We’re being bailed out at the moment by our schools, who do a lot of recruitment in those areas.

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“But I’m telling you, the schools in areas like New Orleans or Kasselsvlei have talent that could be missed by one of the bigger schools.

“There’s going to be a greater effort, especially because competition for talent is getting better, and the Lleyton Davids story will help that. We need to start looking at these things, because you’re changing a life here with Lleyton Davids.

“He was being given food at night by his agent when he started with the Stormers. Now he’s got a professional contract. It’s super, it’s a great story, and hopefully it can set the path for other guys to get this sort of opportunity.”

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Skipper Ruhan Nel called Davids an “unbelievable athlete”, but said his Bronco test in pre-season training was surprisingly ordinary.

“He started that Bronco and we thought to ourselves: ‘This is a club record.’ He flew out of the blocks, but towards the end the legs got a bit heavy.

“He’s just so raw – there are many things he still has to learn, which is great, because in this environment he will learn that.

“If he can get those things under his knee, I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a crowd favourite in no time.”

Photo: dhlstormers/Instagram

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