Roos returns off bench as Stormers make four changes

Springbok No 8 Evan Roos will return to rugby after a lengthy layoff by playing off the bench when the DHL Stormers tackle Munster in their crucial penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship league match at DHL Stadium on Saturday.

In all there are four changes to the Stormers starting team for the match which forms part of what should be an entertaining and absorbing double header at the Cape Town venue. DHL Western Province play a Carling Currie Cup game against the powerful Toyota Cheetahs team in the curtain-raiser.

Roos could have been part of that game as John Dobson, who performs the role of head coach for both the Stormers and WP, was considering reintroducing last year’s URC Player of the Year in the domestic competition. However, with so much on the line for the Stormers against Munster, and with another back row kingpin in Deon Fourie still missing through the eye-socket injury that prevented him from facing Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinal last week, Dobson should feel he has made the right call in including Roos in the URC squad.

Leolin Zas, who was one of the Stormers’ best players last year and is also making his way back from injury, will wait at least one more week before his reintroduction.

There are three changes to the Stormers’ pack for the Munster clash, with Ruben van Heerden making his anticipated return to the second row after being Cup tied for the game against Exeter last week as well as the Champions Cup round of 16 game before that against Harlequins at DHL Stadium.

Van Heerden’s return does two things - it obviously beefs up the Stormers pack, while at the same time it adds experience to the bench, where the versatile and influential Ernst van Rhyn will play a crucial role this week after starting in the two Champions Cup games.

Hacjivah Dayimani is back as the starting No 8 for Marcel Theunissen in another change, with Theunissen reverting to the bench, while Willie Engelbrecht earns promotion to the No 6 jersey worn in Exeter by Junior Pokomela, who is not in the match day squad this week. Of course openside flank is usually the position filled by Fourie, who was man of the match last time he played for the Stormers but will be sidelined for a few more weeks.

Pokomela will be playing for WP against his former Cheetahs teammates, while in the remaining change Paul de Wet comes back at scrumhalf in a rotational switch with Springbok Herschel Jantjies, who now fills De Wet’s place on the bench.

Although Fourie’s absence will continue to be felt, the return of Van Heerden as well as Roos does give the Stormers a stronger look in comparison to last week’s trip to Sandy Park, with more depth at forward.

As anticipated, Damian Willemse has been cleared to start at fullback, which means Clayton Blommetjies’ X-factor will be introduced if everything goes to plan in the second half from the bench.

Although the Stormers had another long flight to negotiate this week and are racking up the flying miles, which might be a debilitating factor to take into account ahead of a game they must win to ensure they hold onto their second position on the overall log behind Leinster, the fact they are playing in front of their own supporters should help them. At least Dobson hopes that will be the case.

“We have had some incredible support at home this season and we hope that it will be another special atmosphere on Saturday,” said Dobson.

“This is a great opportunity for us to build momentum as we head towards the playoffs and with Western Province playing first it promises to be another memorable double header.”

The previous double header was when the Stormers played the Champions Cup round of 16 game a fortnight ago, but on that occasion Province played second, with their opponents being Griquas. It does make for a better occasion if WP play as a prelude to the main event rather than after it.

The WP game kicks off at 3pm while the Stormers start at 6.15pm, with the gates opening at 2pm.

DHL Stormers team: Damian Willemse, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis, Seabelo Senatla, Manie Libbok, Paul de Wet, Hacjivah Dayimani, Ben-Jason Dixon, Willie Engelbrecht, Marvin Orie, Ruben van Heerden, Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba, Steven Kitshoff (captain). Replacements: JJ Kotze, Ali Vermaak, Neethling Fouche, Ernst van Rhyn, Marcel Theunissen, Evan Roos, Herschel Janjties, Clayton Blommetjies.