The need to safeguard key players from injury may have played a role in the DHL Stormers coach making as many as 12 changes, if you include positional switches, to his starting team for Friday night’s final Vodacom United Rugby Championship league clash with Cardiff in Cape Town.
The Stormers have already qualified for the playoffs, and while they wouldn’t want to drop to eighth, which would mean a trip to Dublin to play the top team in the competition, Leinster, in their quarterfinal, last week’s results have made it appear less critical for them to grab fifth spot.
When it was assumed the Sharks would finish fourth, meaning a trip to Durban was in the offing ahead of one to Glasgow, then a fifth-placed finish became of crucial importance.
However, with Glasgow playing Leinster in Dublin this week and the Sharks at home to Cardiff, the Durbanites look likely to finish third, which would mean a fifth-place finish would send them to the Scotstoun for a repeat of last year’s quarter. If the Stormers drop to seventh they will head to Loftus for their quarterfinal, which is also preferable to them to a trip across the equator.
That’s not to suggest the Stormers are setting out to lose or have a weak team for Friday night. It’s just that when you go without Warrick Gelant, Evan Roos and Paul de Villiers in the starting team, and relegate the in-form Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to sit aside De Villiers on the bench, it would be very hard to argue that the team is not weakened.
Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok makes his return from a three-month injury layoff not from the bench as was suggested would be the case by Dobson a few weeks back, but in the starting team, while Damian Willemse moves to fullback in place of Gelant, who is one of the players being rested. Dan du Plessis returns to the side at inside centre, where he will partner Wandisile Simelane, who did well against the Dragons last week.
On the occasion of his 50th cap for the Stormers, Suleiman Hartzenberg returns to the starting team at wing after playing off the bench in the last two games, with Ben Loader dropping to the bench to accommodate him. Leolin Zas gets game time on the other wing in place of Seabelo Senatla.
Marcel Theunissen moves to No 8 for Roos, with Louw Nel coming in for his first URC start on the blindside flank alongside journeyman Dave Ewers. Nel did start when the Stormers sent an understrength team to London for an Investec Champions Cup game against Harlequins before Christmas.
The return of JD Schickerling will definitely not be weakening the team as Ruben van Heerden gets a complete break at lock, with Connor Evans continuing in the backup second row role he performed last week.
FOUCHE RETURNS
In the front row, the Stormers have been boosted by the return to the starting team for the first time since he was red carded against Ulster in March of the experienced Neethling Fouche, who will also bring crucial leadership experience to the home team. Sazi Sandi moves to the bench, with Zacheray Porthen, who made his debut against the Dragons, set to play for the Western Province under-21 team against the Lions in the curtain-raiser (kick-off 3.45pm).
At loosehead Sti Sithole is back in the starting team for the first time in a while, with Ali Vermaak clearly one of the players being protected from potential injury ahead of the playoffs. Vernon Matongo’s recent good performances mean that Sithole has excellent cover on the bench.
With JJ Kotze injured just before kickoff last week, Scarra Ntubeni, who spent some time with the Sharks this season without getting onto the field, has been given a chance to accumulate some game time in case as the next cab off the rank at hooker he is needed in some capacity in a playoff game.
It looks like the Stormers coaches are giving the players who are leaving an opportunity in this game to say goodbye to their fans, with Herschel Jantjies, who is destined to continue his career in France next season, starting at scrumhalf and Paul de Wet, who is moving to Pretoria in the off-season, playing off the bench.
Other players in the match-day squad who may be headed to the exit door at the end of the season include hooker Joseph Dweba, outside centre Simelane, flanker Ewers and Loader.
DHL Stormers: Damian Willemse, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas, Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies, Marcel Theunissen, Louw Nel, Dave Ewers, JD Schickerling, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Neethling Fouché, Joseph Dweba, Sti Sithole. Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Vernon Matongo, Sazi Sandi, Connor Evans, Paul de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader.