Coach John Dobson has made three changes to the Stormers backline for Saturday’s Vodacom URC quarter-final against Cardiff at Cape Town Stadium.
Ruhan Nel makes his return from injury and will captain the team. He is joined in midfield by long-standing partner Dan du Plessis, as Wandisile Simelane and Jonathan Roche drop out of the match 23 altogether.
Nel and Du Plessis will make their 30th start together as a centre pairing to draw level with De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert as the Stormers’ most-capped midfield combination.
In the only other change to the starting line-up which lost 22-16 to the same opponents in the final round of the league stage, Seabelo Senatla replaces Suleiman Hartzenberg on the right wing.
Damian Willemse and Leolin Zas, who were involved in a sickening training ground clash on Wednesday, both start.
The Stormers have picked the same pack that did duty at the Arms Park. There are changes on the bench, though, with prop Vernon Matongo coming in for Oli Kebble, while utility forward Ruan Ackermann returns after a lengthy injury layoff.
DOBBO: Cardiff easiest of the quarter-finals
“We have some key players returning, which makes this one of the most experienced Stormers teams that we have ever selected,” said Dobson.
“We have earned this opportunity to play a quarter-final in front of our fans and we want to make it count.”
SUPERBRU: Bulls, Stormers surge into semis
STORMERS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (c), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Bench: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Stormers rejig backline for Cardiff clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach John Dobson has made three changes to the Stormers backline for Saturday’s Vodacom URC quarter-final against Cardiff at Cape Town Stadium.
The post Stormers rejig backline for Cardiff clash appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
