Deon Fourie will lead the Stormers against unbeaten log leaders Leinster in their United Rugby Championship clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night (7pm start).
Fourie takes the captaincy reins in the absence of regular skipper Salmaan Moerat, who is set to make an impact from the substitutes’ bench.
The hosts will be without key players due to the Six Nations, but it will still be a formidable side in this high-stakes clash in the Irish capital.
Alongside Fourie in the dynamic loose trio are Springboks Ben-Jason Dixon and the powerful Evan Roos, promising an imposing presence in the forward pack.
The front row of Ali Vermaak, hooker Joseph Dweba and tighthead Neethling Fouché are also reunited, and will look to establish their dominance at scrum-time.
Scrumhalf Paul de Wet and pivot Manie Libbok are expected to orchestrate the Stormers’ tactics on the attack, while the midfield duo of the young and exciting Jonathan Roche and experienced Ruhan Nel aim to combine skill and strategy to penetrate Leinster’s defence on the attack, but also halt the dangerous backline of the home side when defending.
The back three is rounded out by fullback Warrick Gelant and speedsters Ben Loader, and Leolin Zas, who returns after an injury.
Director of Rugby John Dobson expressed the importance of delivering nothing less than the best performance of the season to secure a victory.
“Leinster’s record and reputation speak for themselves, and we know that it will take a huge effort to come away with a win at the Aviva Stadium,” he stated on Friday.
“Several players are coming into the mix that did not feature last week, and we are looking to them to make a big impact for us.”
Having experienced a successful run of form towards the end of last season with derby wins, the Stormers are eager to carry that momentum into this fixture, looking to climb the URC points log. | Independent Media Sport
Stormers Team
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Bench: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Wandisile Simelane.