Harris leads changed-up Stormers in double landmark match

DHL Stormers coach John Dobson has named a side that includes a raft of changes for Friday night’s final match of their four match Vodacom United Rugby Championship tour against Cardiff.

Brok Harris will celebrate his 400th professional game as well as drawing level with Steven Kitshoff as the player with the most caps for the Stormers by leading the side at Cardiff Arms Park, where the Stormers need to win to avoid completing the tour without a win.

According to Dobson, the changes were mainly made because of the injury disruptions that become almost expected at the end of a tour like the one his team has been on, with the players not available including lock Gary Porter, who flew home after being injured last week against Munster, hooker Joseph Dweba, No8 Evan Roos, blindside flank Ben-Jason Dixon and wing Angelo Davids.

Brok Harris leads our team in Cardiff tomorrow night in the 400th match of an incredible career, which also sees him tie Steven Kitshoff as the most-capped DHL Stormer.

📢 Full team announcement https://t.co/Nyj5mVKodz#iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/XDzTRltZXv — DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) November 23, 2023

Dweba’s place in the front row has been taken by Andre-Hugo Venter, with Scarra Ntubeni, who did well in the game against Benetton two matches ago, coming in on the bench.

Regular captain and tighthead prop Neethling Fouche is still in the match-day squad but plays off the bench this week to enable Lee-Marvin Mazibuko to get a starting opportunity after playing well off the bench.

It is a completely rejigged front row, with Harris, who has played mostly at tighthead this season, wearing the No1 jersey signifying loosehead prop this week.

Porter is effectively replaced by Adre Smith, who will continue where he left off as the second-row partner to Ruben van Heerden after Porter was injured early in last week’s 10-3 defeat to Munster. 

Roos is replaced at No8 by Marcel Theunissen, with Willie Engelbrecht moving into Dixon’s No7 jersey to accommodate Nama Xaba at openside flank.

There are also a few changes at the back, with Clayton Blommetjies coming in at fullback in what looks like a rotation switch with Warrick Gelant, who moves to Blommetjies’s usual place on the bench.

With former Junior Bok and Vodacom Bulls lock Hendre Stassen added to the bench, and Dobson reverting to a six/two bomb squad type split between forwards and backs, the Stormers do have plenty of impact and strength coming off the bench this week.

Sti Sithole, who did well in the scrums on his first start last week, makes up a very experienced and potent replacement front row with Ntubeni and Fouche.

“We are really excited to see how the players coming in go this week. It has been a long tour and this is a crucial game for us,” said the Stormers coach.

“There have been some injury disruptions to the squad…but this team will be going all out for the win. We know that we will face a big challenge at Cardiff Arms Park, but it is one we are looking forward to taking on.

DHL Stormers team: Clayton Blommetjies, Courtnall Skosan, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Stefan Ungerer, Marcel Theunissen, Willie Engelbrecht, Nama Xaba, Ruben van Heerden, Adre Smith, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris (captain).

Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Sti Sithole, Neethling Fouche, Connor Evans, Hendre Stassen, Keke Morabe, Herschel Jantjies, Warrick Gelant.