Damian Willemse © Gallo Photographs
DHL Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has provide you with some sudden picks for Saturday’s penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship league recreation towards the Dragons in Cape City.
There was loads of expectation that this recreation would see the return to the taking part in discipline, if not the beginning staff, of Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok. That was after each assistant coach Dawie Snyman and Damian Willemse, who performs his landmark hundredth recreation for the Stormers with the No 12 on his again on this recreation, hinted strongly early within the week that Libbok could be again within the combine.
Nevertheless, whether or not it was a little bit of subterfuge or there was a late setback in Libbok’s return from an harm he sustained taking part in towards Leinster in Dublin in January, the flyhalf shouldn’t be within the Stormers squad in any respect for this recreation. Which might really be in line with what Dobson mentioned after the final fixture towards Benetton – he mentioned Libbok could be again for the final league recreation and possibly play off the bench.
That final league recreation is subsequent Friday, when a far harder proposition with regards to Welsh groups come to city within the type of Cardiff, who’re at present one level forward of the Stormers in fifth place on the URC log. Presumably, that would be the Stormers’ full costume rehearsal for the quarterfinal, which, if outcomes go in line with expectation, must be towards the Sharks in Durban in early June.
On this recreation there’s a little bit of a combination and match to the choice, with Wandesile Simelane returning to the No 13 exterior centre jersey for the primary time shortly to associate Willemse within the midfield, whereas stalwart and common starter Dan du Plessis performs off the bench. Ben Loader is available in at wing in one other change from the backline that began the 56-5 rout of Benetton two weeks in the past.
There are two adjustments to the pack as effectively, with Joseph Dweba again because the beginning hooker and Andre-Hugo Venter dropping out utterly to permit JJ Kotze to carry out the back-up function from the bench.
Vernon Matongo, who has impressed as a alternative previously few video games, will get his first begin within the No 1 jersey, with Ali Vermaak masking on the bench alongside tighthead reserve Zacharay Porthen, the 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain who has been known as in for his debut look (when he comes onto the sphere) due to the harm that ended the profession of veteran Brok Harris.
There’s no signal of JD Schickerling within the match day squad, so Connor Evans would be the reserve lock and if the teenager is to get recreation time, this can be a good time to do it. Dobson has gone for a 5/three break up between forwards and backs this week, with Suleiman Hartzenberg persevering with on the bench because the second exterior again alongside Du Plessis.
Right here is our staff to tackle Dragons RFC at DHL Stadium on Saturday. See you there!
📢 Crew announcement https://t.co/mWybyO3DhC
🎟️ Tickets right here https://t.co/zaZJN2PvTe#STOvDRA #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/cVSz3t8OJz— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 9, 2025
The picks for the Dragons recreation may effectively have been directed across the brief turnaround earlier than Friday’s essential conflict with Cardiff. If the Stormers get full factors from the Dragons recreation and the Bulls beat Cardiff within the earlier recreation to be performed on South African soil on Saturday, they’ll go forward of Cardiff into fifth place. Whatever the outcomes this week, the Stormers will in all probability be ready the place they need to beat Cardiff to safe their most popular ending place.
DHL STORMERS TEAM: Warrick Gelant, Ben Loader, Wandisile Simelane, Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Stefan Ungerer, Evan Roos, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Sazi Sandi, Joseph Dweba, Vernon Matongo. Replacements: JJ Kotze, Ali Vermaak, Zacharay Porthen, Connor Evans, Louw Nel, Paul de Moist, Dan du Plessis, Suleiman Hartzenberg.
