Stormers' Wandisile Simelane credits ‘homecoming’, Norman Laker for defensive growth

Never mind Rassie Erasmus getting into people’s heads with the help of The Cranberries, Stormers centre Wandisile Simelane says he takes to the field with defence coach Norman Laker present between his ears.

Simelane knows he will be asked questions on defence by the strong-running Sharks midfield of Andre Esterhuizen at the Cape Town Stadium, but he is confident he will do the job.

“Defence has more to it than meets the eye, especially when you are tasked with running the show from 13,” said Simelane. “Ruhan Nel helped me a lot, and Norman prides himself on our defence — trust me, when you put on that Stormers jersey, Norm is in your head.

“Norm and I worked very hard on my defence, and I am grateful to be in a place where I am comfortable enough to defend at 13 and handle anything that comes my way,” the 27-year-old said.

Over the last fortnight of Champions Cup games, the Stormers had 13 tries scored against them, but Simelane says this is an anomaly, and they will be back to their miserly selves against the Sharks.

“We will definitely fix that; it bothers us a lot, but one of those games was a blowout overseas against Harlequins,” he said. “In the URC, we are still the top team on defence.”

After the try-feasts of the Champions Cup, Simelane expects a return to the arm-wrestles that are the URC SA derbies.

“SA derbies are always physical, and space is limited. We will be prepped mentally for what will come on Saturday from the Sharks,” he said. “We are prepared for a hard physical game, but we have the guys in our team where space is created naturally by their magical skills.”

Simelane says he is not unfazed by facing players of the calibre of Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker.

“We are at the stage of the season where it doesn’t matter who the opposition picks; we are looking to build our game every week. We never talk about being undefeated; the only talk is about getting better. In that regard, we have not been at our best in the last two matches. We have had some good chats about how we can improve. There are a few areas of the game we have to sort out.”

Simelane this week signed a contract extension that will see him in the Cape until 2028. The product of Jeppe High in Johannesburg seems to have finally found a home after stints with the Lions, Bulls, Sharks (where he trained but did not play a match), and Stormers since 2023.

“There are many factors why I chose to extend with the Stormers, not the least of which are the brilliant coaches and players around me that will help me grow as a player, and I’m looking forward to seeing how I go over the next few years in this positive environment,” the 27-year-old said.

“I had ups and downs at the Lions, ups and downs with the Bulls, and ups and downs here in the Cape before I got comfortable on and off the field, and the guys here helped me believe in myself. The big thing is that I feel like I have found a home away from home here in Cape Town.”