Why 'hybrid' Hacjivah Dayimani is the Stormers’ new tactical weapon

The Stormers have kept the composition of their squad for this week's Champions Cup trip to Toulon under wraps, but one confirmed traveller is Hacjivah Dayimani, who has only recently returned to South Africa following a two-year stint in France.

Dayimani addressed a media conference on Tuesday and seems set for a more prominent role on Saturday, after primarily being used as an impact player by coach John Dobson since his return.

The loose forward, a product of Jeppe High School for Boys, began his career at the Lions before moving to the Stormers. In 2024, he joined the Parisian club Racing 92. He admits he learned a great deal in the Top 14, but when he found himself regarded primarily as a winger, he decided it was time to come home. He rejoined the Stormers in February.

“It’s obviously good to be back,” Dayimani smiled. “The more things change, the more they stay the same. I guess one big difference is that before I left, Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] was a youngster coming through, and now he is the man!”

Dayimani noted that his time in the uncompromising world of French rugby has matured him. He left South Africa as something of a maverick but returns as a more rounded professional. “My role has changed a bit. I’m trying to serve the team more and fill in wherever I’m needed,” the 28-year-old said.

“I was out for seven months with an Achilles injury in Paris,” he explained. “When I came back, I transitioned to the wing and played there for a few months. The coaches saw me as a hybrid player — 80 percent wing and 20 percent flanker. I started to think about a change.

“In the end, the return was about my career and getting the right game time. There was also the factor of my family [he has a wife and a young child]. An agreement was reached that allowed me to come back home.”

Dayimani added that a major positive of his positional shift at Racing 92 was being coached by former internationals Frederic Michalak and Joe Rokocoko.

“The Racing coaches told me, ‘If we don’t put you on the wing, it’s a waste.’ I spent three or four months training there, working on positioning, kicking, and understanding the game from a different perspective,” he said.

“That has opened up my arsenal. If I’m needed on the wing, I’m comfortable. I can play there, at centre, or at flanker. It depends on what the team needs. The game is changing. It used to be about offloading — everyone was just trying to offload to crack open the defence. Before that, it was about playing around the fringes to try and expose a vacuum. Every two or three years, there’s something new as teams try to innovate and identify space.”