It’s generally good news for the Stormers on the injury front.

While they still have a number of players who are some time away from fitness, there is the good news that flyhalf Willem de Waal has started training; lock Adriaan Fondse should be ready by the second week of the Super 14 competition and Emerging Springbok centre Morgan Newman should be ready by the end of January or early February after a sooner than expected recovery.

The news on Conrad Jantjes is as expected. The Springbok fullback still needs a further four to six weeks as does loose forward cum wing Nick Koster. Centre Dylan des Fountain will take another two to three weeks before he is ready but should be fit enough to be considered for the first match, against the Lions in Johannesburg, on February 13.

The Stormers, with three warm-up matches, should be well-prepared when they run out against the Lions. They play the Force from Perth at Newlands on January 23 and follow that up with a match against the Sharks on January 29, also at Newlands.

The Cavaliers are next on their list when they play their franchise partner in the new Cape Town Stadium on February 6.