Springbok tighthead prop Frans Malherbe is back at just the right time for the DHL Stormers as he joins national teammate and captain Steven Kitshoff in the front-row for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with high riding Ulster at DHL Stadium.
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Malherbe has been out of rugby since being injured during last year’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship. He was forced to miss the Boks’ end of year tour and has spent the past few months rehabilitating. He is back in training with the Stormers at the High Performance Centre several weeks ago so coach John Dobson will be confident he will do the business against Ulster.
The Stormers are preparing for a stiff first phase struggle as a lot revolves for the Irish provinces around their forwards. In that regard, Malherbe’s return is offset this week by the absence of regular first choice hooker Scarra Ntubeni, who left the field injured at halftime of the win against Cardiff last Sunday.
With Andre-Hugo Venter, Ntubeni’s back-up in the position, being injured the week before that against Zebre Parma, Ntubeni would have been the last player that Stormers coach John Dobson would have wanted to see injured against Cardiff as he knows how thin the Western Province union is at hooker. Apart from Springbok Bongi Mbonambi, other hookers to have left the union in the recent past are Dan Jooste, currently contracted to the Sharks, and Schalk Erasmus, who is with the Bulls.
As recognition for the tough battle his team can expect from the Stormers in the tight loose aspects of the game, Ernst van Rhyn has been moved to blindside flank in place of Hacjivah Dayimani. Dayimani’s mobility and ability to break a game apart with his pace and stepping ability will be called on later in the game by the Stormers as he is part of a bench that has a six/two split between forwards and backs. Junior Pokomela is an additional loose-forward among the replacements while young lock Connor Evans has been rewarded for his good recent Currie Cup form for WP by backing up Adre Smith.
Smith is back in the starting team after being withdrawn at the last minute from last week’s game because of concussion problems. The former Griquas player has been a revelation for the Stormers since moving from Kimberley and his mongrel will be needed in the game against Ulster. JJ Kotze comes into the match day squad for Solomons and like the starting hooker will have to improve his lineout throwing. Solomons was all over the place with his throwing when he came on for Ntubeni against Cardiff and Kotze wasn’t much better for WP in their loss to the Pumas in midweek.
The potential problems in this aspect of the Stormers’ game could be enough to sway the smart money onto Ulster, although the pack does have a staunch look to it if you look beyond the lineout.
There has been one rotational change at the back, with Paul de Wet coming in at scrumhalf for Springbok Herschel Jantjies, who will bring his X-factor onto the field from the bench in the second half.
DHL STORMERS: Warrick Gelant, Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas, Manie Libbok, Paul de Wet, Evan Roos, Ernst van Rhyn, Deon Fourie, Marvin Orie, Adre Smith, Frans Malherbe, Chad Solomon, Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: JJ Kotze, Brok Harris, Neethling Fouche, Connor Evans, Hacjivah Dayimani, Junior Pokomela, Herschel Jantjies, Rikus Pretorius.
