After an absence of almost three months due to a grade two hamstring injury, Stormers speedster Angelo Davids wasted no time announcing his return to the field with two excellent tries last weekend.
It was a tough clash against the Dragons in the United Rugby Championship in a must-win game, but the energy and speed the 24-year-old wing brought helped his side to a 44-21 bonus-point win in Newport, Wales.
His double scores from good Stormers attacks kept the side firmly in the picture during the first half when they struggled to find their footing at Rodney Parade, allowing them to pull away in the final 15 minutes of the game with three more tries.
The inaugural URC winners are currently in fifth place on the log and will face Connacht in Galway, Ireland on Saturday (6.05pm kick-off, SA time) as they continue to push for a top-eight spot.
If they win their remaining two matches and get a few favours from other sides, the Stormers can still end up hosting a quarter-final.
But that won’t be the focus for Davids and his teammates this weekend because they know the dangers Connacht pose, and a win is the only thing the visitors will be after.
Davids, who first made a name for himself in sevens rugby, recovered just in time when the Cape side lost wings Leolin Zas and Ben Loader to injury, and slotted in well during his first run-out since February against the Sharks in Durban.
He was in sync with fullback Warrick Gelant, who created both of his five-pointers, while Davids also put in some strong carries and made a defensive hit that kept the Dragons from breaching the Stormers’ tryline.
Angelo Davids in full flight. #iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/FLwuPPpAIM
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 12, 2024
This weekend, he wants to continue that form, especially playing on a 4G surface.
“It was tough to watch the boys play (and not be able to join) while I was on the sidelines and doing my rehab,” Davids said.
“But it is never about us as individuals. It’s about the team and what we are striving towards. We want to win. And for me, it’s a privilege playing for the Stormers, so I am grateful to be back.”
The side will count on his pace again this weekend as they look to upstage Connacht in front of their home fans.
The last time the two sides met in Galway, in the first season, the home team won 19-17 in conditions the Capetonians were unfamiliar with.
On Saturday, though, the visitors expect the weather to be a bit more forgiving and allow them to play more attacking rugby.
That is what Davids, alongside flyhalf Manie Libbok, fullback Gelant, fellow wing Suleiman Hartzenberg and the returning Damian Willemse will want.
Gelant created Davids’s first try with a neat little left-footed kick that the No 11 collected out wide, while the mercurial fullback drew two defenders on the tryline to hand the ball in space for Davids to go over for his second touchdown.
Gelant with the kick 😍 🤝 Davids with the step 🕺#BKTURC #URC | #DRAvSTO pic.twitter.com/TDbp29lR3E
“We are with each other every day of the week (during training sessions), so when it comes to game days, we kind of know what the others will do (on the field). We feed off each other. But it all starts in training. These things don’t just happen on the day,” Davids said.
“Every game we are playing will be a final for us. We are looking at this (Connacht) game the same. Our focus is on our principles and processes, and the rest will deal with itself.”