Moerat to lead Stormers in London
Springbok lock Salmaan Moerat will play his first game of the new season for the DHL Stormers when he leads them in their Investec Champions Cup clash with Harlequins at the Stoop in London on Saturday night.
As anticipated director of rugby John Dobson has gone for his alternative combination rather than a first choice team, with most of the frontline players being rested in preparation for two crucial Vodacom United Rugby Championship home derbies against the Emirates Lions and the Hollywoodbets Sharks over the festive season.
However, there is still plenty of experience mixed in with the newcomers in the squad, with Clayton Blommetjies and Seabelo Senatla, two back three players who have seen a lot of top rugby, at fullback and left wing respectively. Stefan Ungerer is at scrumhalf and has also played a lot of rugby, as is his back-up on the bench, veteran former Benetton star Dewaldt Duvenage.
No 8 Willie Engelbrecht played his 50th game for the Stormers in Gqeberha last week while flanker Dave Ewers spent many years at Exeter Chiefs before coming to the Stormers via a short stint at Ulster.
Wandisile Simelane and Jean-Luc du Plessis in the midfield are also not new to this level of rugby and flyhalf Jurie Matthee was the Stormers star player when they were competitive in the corresponding Champions Cup game away to Leicester Tigers last year.
Salmaan Moerat returns to lead our team in London on Saturday night for ⛈️ v 🃏
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) December 13, 2024
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/8BIZ8iqQVn#HARvSTO #iamastormer #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/mSY5YqYWgH
But it is some of the complete newcomers who are reason to be excited, if not now but for the future. For instance Zimbabwe born Vernon Matongo will be making his debut at loosehead and will be following former Welsh international Andy Marinos as a Northwood College (Durban North) old boy to have played for the Stormers. At the age of just 22 Matongo could have a bright future ahead of him.
So could starting flanker Louw Nel, who has played a few games for the Stormers already but will have more responsibility going into this game, while Paul de Villiers, Jonathan Roche and JC Mars are youngsters who are considered to have bright futures. Mars is just 19 years old and is regarded as a phenomenal talent. Corne Weilbach is the backup tighthead and, like Matongo, is just 22.
This game will provide Stormers fans with an interesting glimpse of the future and a good performance from players desperate to make full use of the opportunities presented to them will be a confidence boost for the franchise in terms of what it will say about the depth available at this time when Dobson has a lot of injuries to contend with.
DHL Stormers team: Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids, Wandisile Simelane, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Seabelo Senatla, Jurie Matthee, Stefan Ungerer, Willie Engelbrecht, Louw Nel, Dave Ewers, Connor Evans, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Sazi Sandi, JJ Kotze, Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Leon Lyons, Corne Wellbach, Gary Porter, Paul de Villiers, Dewaldt Duvenage, Jonathan Roche, JC Mars.
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