Stormers hooker Joseph Dweba has a golden opportunity to prove he is regaining top form when he confronts the Dragons in Gqeberha on Saturday, assistant coach Rito Hlungwani said.

Dweba gave positive signs he is building up a head of steam with a solid all-round display when the Stormers beat the Scarlets in a United Rugby Championship (URC) clash in Cape Town last week.

Hlungwani wants Dweba to put in another strong shift in the Stormers’ engine room against the enterprising Welsh outfit at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (2pm).

“Joseph has not played a lot of rugby,” Hlungwani said. “He travelled overseas with the Boks and got a bit of game time.

“Joseph is one of those guys the coaching staff know we have to be patient with and give him as much game time as possible. We know with more games he will slowly return to his best.

“I spoke to Joseph, and he knows he is not operating at full capacity yet. But there have been good signs about what we can see in the near future.”

Hlungwani said the Stormers are preparing for an 80-minute battle against the Welsh side.

“I watched them play the Lions last weekend, and we played against them last year. The Dragons are a very physical team and very solid on defence.

“They have a good tackle technique and are good at chopping the legs. We know we are up for a tough challenge, but we will be well-prepared.

“They could have a few Welsh international players coming into the side as well. From a lineout point of view they are a very good contesting team and they work hard on their maul stops.

“We know we are not going in just for a match but for a fight. The Stormers will be ready for them, but they are a tough side to break down.”

Hlungwani said Springbok and Stormers No 8 Evan Roos, who suffered a rib injury against England, would undergo scans to determine whether he is fit to play in Gqeberha.

With several Boks expected to be rested, prop Neethling Fouche, lock Gary Porter and flyhalf Kade Wolhuter are likely to feature at NMB Stadium.

“It’s a very exciting time for the team,” Fouche said. “We’ve got a few guys who have been training constantly but not getting game time.

“It’s really tough when you suddenly get your chance; it puts a lot of pressure on the guys. We saw how Gary ran the lineouts.

“Kade came back as the flyhalf general. It’s nice for the coaches to see the guys take their chances.

“It also speaks to the quality of the squad and what we are about at the Stormers.”

The past weekend was one of success for the home sides in the URC, with three of the four SA teams victorious until Cardiff beat the Sharks in the last match of round eight. In the process the four teams at the top of the standings have opened up a slight gap on the chasing pack.

With the Bulls and Stormers collecting five points this weekend, they are in hot pursuit of two Irish teams, unbeaten Leinster in first place and Ulster in second.

With the halfway mark of the season approaching, Leinster have 38 points from eight games, followed by Ulster (30 points from seven games), the Bulls (29 from eight) and the Stormers (29 from seven).