There are seven Springboks playing their first DHL Stormers game of the season as members of the starting team in Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby against the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the DHL Stadium.
In all there are 11 Boks in the match day squad, with Deon Fourie covering hooker as well as probably flank on the replacements bench.
As anticipated, Andre-Hugo Venter, who didn’t play against the All Blacks but was in the Bok squad for the home leg of the Nations Championship, was cleared to start in the No 2 jersey after he was forced off the field early in last week’s narrow defeat to Edinburgh because of concussion protocols.
Venter will pack down between two fellow Boks in the form of Ntuthuko Mchunu and Wilco Louw, who returns to Stormers colours for the first time since 2020, since when he has played for the Harlequins in England and the Vodacom Bulls, as well as of course the Springboks.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has found a way to accommodate two Bok openside flanks in the same team - he’s moved Siya Kolisi into the No 7 jersey, one which he could be well suited to given that No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani is a dab lineout forward at the back of the formation, with Paul de Villiers starting in the No 6 jersey he also wore for the Boks against Australia last time out.
ROOS MAKES HIS RETURN OFF BENCH
Evan Roos has overcome his injury issues and will make his first competition appearance of the new season, but with a double digit number on his back as he will play off the bench, where apart from Fourie the other player with Bok experience is stalwart tighthead Neethling Fouche.
The depth available to the Stormers in that position is indicated by the fact that Zachary Porthen, who played a few games for the Boks during the Nations Championship leg to the international season as well as the first test against the All Blacks and the most recent game against Australia, is not in the match day 23.
Also on the bench for the Stormers is the 2025 World Rugby Junior Player of the Year Haashim Pead, with scrumhalf set to make his debut for the Stormers just two weeks after it was confirmed he’d be switching allegiance from the Lions to the team that represents the region he grew up in and where he learned his rugby.
RILEY PLAYS OFF THE BENCH
Talking about young talents, the 2025 Junior World Championship winning Junior Bok skipper Riley Norton finds a place in the squad as a reserve, with the more experienced lock Adre Smith selected to start with JD Schickerling this time around.
There are three changes at the back, with Damian Willemse returning in the fullback position where he is a first choice at the Boks, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach are the halfbacks in place of Zaqeen Ahmed and Stef Ungerer.
Building up to be a big one on Saturday. 🎟️ https://t.co/JFWS04Tn4T #STOvSHA #inittogether @Vodacom #URC https://t.co/SdpPbQoLoB
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 6, 2026
In announcing a much changed team from the one that lost narrowly to Edinburgh at The Hive last Friday, Dobson said he was pleased with the way the Boks had adapted since returning from tour and by making the selections he appears confident there won’t be any cohesion issues against a Sharks team that absorbed its Boks back last week against Leinster.
“It is fantastic to be able to name a team like this with such exceptional talents, from Deon Fourie with 141 Stormers caps through to Haashim Pead who makes his first appearance for us,” said Dobson.
“It has been really encouraging to see the way the players returning from duty have stepped up this week and added immensely to our preparations. It was a tough team to select with so many players missing out.”
Apart from Cheslin Kolbe, who is unavailable after breaking his jaw playing for the Boks against the All Blacks, and Porthen the other Bok who will not feature at all in the match day 23 is Ben-Jason Dixon, who hasn’t played since picking up concussion issues when part of the Bok camp during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
DHL STORMERS TEAM: Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel (captain), Jonathan Roche, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Hacjivah Dayimani, Siya Kolisi, Paul de Villiers, JD Schickerling, Adre Smith, Wilco Louw, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu.
REPLACEMENTS: Deon Fourie, Vernon Matongo, Neethling Fouche, Riley Norton, Conor Evans, Evan Roos, Haashim Pead, Wandisile Simelane.