John Dobson and Salmaan Moerat hail the impact of Damian Willemse for the Stormers, who earns his 100th cap on Saturday when he could easily be playing elsewhere.
Willemse becomes the 11th Stormers centurion running out against Dragons at Cape Town Stadium in round 17 of the Vodacom URC.
He reaches the milestone, and at the age of just 27 the youngest to do so, linking up with Wandisile Simelane in midfield.
The two-time World Cup winner and URC champion could have left the Cape when the Stormers were under administration and financially stretched four years ago, but chose to stay – a decision that Dobson believes changed everything.
“Damian made a massive statement; he was offered a lot of money elsewhere,” the Stormers chief said on Friday during his team announcement conference.
“He stayed loyal because he grew up in a backyard in Strand, playing garden rugby in the blue and whites. The jersey means a lot to him.
WATCH: Damian, the dazzling 100-percenter
“If we had lost him, given his background, I think we would’ve struggled. And I know he was under a lot of pressure to move and stood up to it. That story is so powerful to me.”
Dobson added: “I am not sure many people understand how much pressure he was under to move. We know what we have in Damian Willemse, I don’t think the world knows.
“He is a generational player and I’ve worked with him since 2017. Other than the flash, he is the most professional guy.”
Moerat agreed, the Stormers skipper sharing that Willemse was a major reason he pushed to become a Springbok.
“He was the reason I wanted to work harder,” the 10-Test lock said. “I don’t think he fully understands the influence he has. He said it’s not just for himself but the broader community and people that came before him.
“He’ll go down as one of the greats, not just as a player but a remarkable human being.”
Photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images
