The occasion of Ruben van Heerden’s landmark 50th game for the DHL Stormers will also be a special occasion for the promising Paul de Villiers as the openside flank makes his first start in the match against Connacht.
The Stormers are at close to full strength for the 15th round Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash at DHL Stadium on Saturday afternoon (4pm), at least at the back, where just Manie Libbok is missing from the Stormers’ array of star players.
50th DHL Stormers match for Ruben van Heerden on Saturday đź‘Ź#iamastormer pic.twitter.com/E3Cbe9Hv7u
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) April 18, 2025
The home team aren’t quite as well off at forward given that Springbok tighthead Frans Malherbe is not there and neither is fellow tighthead Neethling Fouche, who is serving a suspension following a lamentably poor and questionable URC disciplinary decision a few weeks ago.
Ben-Jason Dixon is also out after undergoing surgery recently.
Damian Willemse returns to the midfield, where he and Dan du Plessis will be at 12 and 13 respectively in the match programme but will probably effectively line up for many plays with Du Plessis as the inside centre and Willemse positioned outside him.
Willemse returned to action for the Stormers after a long injury layoff on the recent overseas tour, and started at fullback against Ulster last time out because Warrick Gelant was injured.
With Gelant back in the selection mix this week Stormers director of rugby John Dobson would have had little hesitation in moving Willemse into the midfield so that both star X-factor players could be accommodated.
Sacha Feinberg gets his third successive opportunity at flyhalf in this first home game for the Stormers since the derby against the Vodacom Bulls at the start of February and even without Libbok there is a lot exciting potential packed into the Stormers back division.
With Suleiman Hartzenberg not doing well at outside centre when he played there against Ulster, the decision to move him back to the wing, where he was excelling before a hand injury knocked him back a few months ago, should also have been an easy one for Dobson to make.
Particularly with Willemse boasting so much experience in the midfield.
Seabelo Senatla, who was initially thought to be unavailable because of illness, returns to the starting team for Leolin Zas, who made one particularly glaring defensive error against Ulster.
Our team to take on Connacht on home turf on Saturday. See you there!
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) April 18, 2025
📢 Full team announcement https://t.co/GnmeESr0MD
🎟️ Tickets here https://t.co/q0864fo1qO#STOvCON #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/2K7fTZ9Hhe
Ben Loader, in the last months of his time at the Stormers before he returns to England, is the reserve wing.
When Libbok is fit there is the potential for us to see Libbok at 10, Feinberg-Mngomezulu at 12 and Willemse at 13 so it will be interesting to watch Willemse in this game.
Stefan Ungerer, who was unable to play on tour because of injury, is back at scrumhalf where he will hope to build on his good performance against the Bulls at Loftus last time out.
The forwards, although they are missing those that have already been mentioned, have also been bolstered at the start of a home run that will feature four successive games at DHL Stadium, with JD Schickerling back in the selection mix and making his return from the bench, while Salmaan Moerat is back in the second row as captain after missing the Ulster game.
Regular openside flank and talisman Deon Fourie is playing this game off the bench too, hence De Villiers wearing the No6 for the first time, with another young looseforward Louw Nel making his return from injury as part of a six-two split between forwards and backs.
Sazi Sandi starts in the No3 jersey in the absence of Fouche and Malherbe while young Vernon Matongo, a former Durban North schoolboy who Dobson has high hopes for, is backing up Ali Vermaak at loosehead.
There is no Joseph Dweba in the match day squad this week, with fellow Bok Andre-Hugo Venter wearing the No2 jersey and the impressive JJ Kotze backing him up.
No place like home. See you there on Saturday.
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) April 14, 2025
🎟️ Tickets here https://t.co/q0864fo1qO#STOvCON #iamastormer @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/xUDWNa7cOD
TEAM: Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis, Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Stefan Ungerer, Evan Roos, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Sazi Sandi, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ali Vermaak.
REPLACEMENTS: JJ Kotze, Vernon Matongo, Brok Harris, JD Schickerling, Louw Nel, Deon Fourie, Paul de Wet, Ben Loader.