The in-form loose-forward Hacjivah Dayimani has been ruled out of Saturday’s opening Investec Champions Cup clash with the Bristol Bears at the DHL Stadium but that won’t prove much of a problem for the DHL Stormers as they have a more than capable replacement stepping in.
Evan Roos will make his first start of the season for the Stormers after sitting out the first three Vodacom URC games with a hamstring niggle sustained in training on the 4G pitches during the Cape team’s overseas tour.
He will join a back row that features two other Springboks in Paul de Villiers and national captain Siya Kolisi as the Stormers look to use the momentum built from their excellent 39-22 win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the weekend to make a strong start to their European challenge.
Their better depth, in fact enviable would be a better word when it comes to loose-forward and front row in particular, is one of the reasons the Stormers should start their Champions Cup campaign with high hopes of improving on their best ever performance in the elite competition, which was a quarterfinal exit in 2024.
If you consider that another Bok, Ben-Jason Dixon, is also yet to play for the Stormers this season as he overcomes concussion issues, and ditto Ruan Ackermann and Marcel Theunissen, and the Stormers have amazing depth to their back row resources.
Indeed, to the extent that director of rugby John Dobson would be justified in considering Dixon to an extended role as a second row forward when he does return.
In the front row it is a similar story, with Dobson enjoying the luxury of being able to rotate the front three that started and starred in the dominant performance against the Sharks a few days ago.
Vernon Matongo, who gave Bok double World Cup winning tighthead a hard time when he came on against the Sharks, gets a deserved opportunity to start - and that is said with full knowledge of how well Ntuthuko Mchunu went against another top Bok tighthead in Thomas du Toit. Mchunu will play this game off the bench.
Speaking of decorated tightheads, Wilco Louw is getting a complete rest this week after his commanding performance in his return to Stormers colours after a six year break, with Sazi Sandi returning as the tighthead starter.
Current Bok Zachary Porthen will provide impact off the bench, with another Bok in Neethling Fouche able to join Louw in sitting out and freshening up this week.
JJ Kotze starts at hooker, with Andre-Hugo Venter moving to the bench. Most teams wouldn’t be able to afford to rotate so much but the Stormers have so much front row depth that it can’t be regarded as a gamble and Dobson is doing the right thing in giving Sandi, for instance, a playing opportunity.
The backline is the same one that started against the Sharks, but there has been a change to the backline cover on the bench, with Warrick Gelant reintroduced to the match day squad in place of Wandisile Simelane.
Dobson, who said after the Sharks game that he had been surprised at how easily his team had dominated the visitors at forward, said the team was still buzzing from that performance but was determined to do what was needed as his team goes in quest of a strong start to their European challenge.
“We saw last season how important collecting points in the pool phase is in this competition, which makes your home matches crucial,” he said.
“We have kept a fair amount of continuity in selection as we look to build on the momentum of last weekend’s win. While it is disappointing to lose Hacjivah to concussion, it is good to be able to call on Evan, who is raring to go, along with the new front row.”
He said the team was keen to experience a similar atmosphere in the Bristol game to the one that spurred them on in the win over the Sharks.
DHL Stormers team: Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel (captain), Jonathan Roche, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Evan Roos, Siya Kolisi, Paul de Villiers, JD Schickerling, Adre Smith, Sazi Sandi, Vernon Matongo. Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, Connor Evans, Riley Norton, Deon Fourie, Haashim Pead, Warrick Gelant.