Bobby Skinstad is set to make his return to Super 12 action on Saturday when the Stormers and the Cats do battle at Newlands.

If Monday's training session at Brookside in Claremont was an indication of coach Alan Solomons' thought process, Skinstad will start at No 8. The gifted footballer, who last made a Super 12 appearance in the game against the Canterbury Crusaders in April 1999, has recovered from the knee injury he sustained in a car accident that night.

Hopefully his comeback won't be as short-lived as the previous one, which ended in the World Cup semifinal against Australia after a half-fit Skinstad was hastily rushed back by former Springbok coach Nick Mallett for rugby's showpiece tournament.

Skinstad took part in all three the Stormers' warm-up games and had one full game, against the Boland Kavaliers. The tough Super 12 is, however, a completely different kettle of fish to a friendly against a provincial side.

The uncompromising Cats will go flat-out to expose Skinstad's lack of match fitness and they will also try to intimidate him physically, something the Stormers camp takes cognisance of.

Solomons on Monday said he made the point after the game against Western Province that Skinstad is ready for Super 12 rugby. The coach said he is aware of the fact that there is a vast difference between the intensity and physicality of a warm-up game and a Super 12 fixture, but is confident that Skinstad's body is ready for the rigours of the latter.

He is not overly concerned about the fact that his No 8 could be in for a torrid time. "I think they will single him out for special attention whether he started five years ago or whether he starts on Saturday, it doesn't make a difference."

The coach was happy to report a clean bill of health. "Everybody's fine and I had a full squad to work with," he said. Solomons added that his team at this stage is probably a bit "underdone" in terms of preparation for the Southern Hemisphere's premier regional competition, but added all the South African teams were in the same boat.

"We only had, through nobody's fault, five-and-a-half weeks to build towards the season. All the South African teams are, however, in the same position and we just have to be positive about it. It's a long and tough season and maybe it could be a blessing in disguise - going into it a bit underdone and building up gradually."

The Ulster-bound coach said the training camp and the three warm-up games served its purpose. "Yes, it was simply vital to play those games and they were important for us - as was the camp. We trained as hard as we could within the time constraints."

Free State lock Boela du Plooy was mentioned as a player who could possibly strengthen the Stormers in the problematic second row, but Solomons said it would be premature to discuss the merits of a possible call-up for the SA under-23 captain.

"Boela is out for four weeks due to injury. He is not part of the Cats squad and we will look at him like we would look at anybody who is a contender for inclusion in our squad."

The coach, hard-pressed for quality in depth at lock and in the front row, proclaimed himself satisfied with the current talent at his disposal. "That's our squad and we simply have to make do with it."

Solomons said his starting line-up, due to be announced on Wednesday, is reasonably settled. "Today we spent a lot of time on organisational things. It's time-consuming, but we have to do it."

If the training session is anything to go by, prop Faan Rautenbach and lock Quinton Davids will make their Super 12 debuts on Friday.

Possible Stormers side: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, De Wet Barry, Pieter Rossouw; Braam van Straaten, Dan van Zyl; Bob Skinstad, Corne Krige (capt), Hendrik Gerber, Quinton Davids, Hottie Louw, Faan Rautenbach, Charl Marais, Robbie Kempson. Substitutes: Neil de Kock, Chris Rossouw, Stuart Abbott, Peter Dixon, Morne van der Merwe, John Slade, Adri Badenhorst.