Orie leads as Dweba debuts for Stormers

Marvin Orie will lead a DHL Stormers team that looks close to full strength but for two absent Springbok props and the injured Ruhan Nel in Saturday’s second Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with Edinburgh at DHL Stadium.

Orie is a bit of a surprise selection as team captain because fellow Bok lock Salmaan Moerat was a co-captain of the team before he was injured last season and is one of several members of the national squad who returns to the team this week following the conclusion of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.

Among the Boks making their first appearance of the season in the URC is debutant hooker Joseph Dweba, who coach John Dobson is expecting big things from going forward. Dweba replaces Andre-Hugo Venter, who did well for the Stormers in their win over Connacht in Stellenbosch but will play off the bench in this first game the Stormers will play this season at their new spiritual home.

“It is very good to be back at DHL Stadium, when we trained here this week it was the first time we’d been back to the ground since we won the URC here and it means a lot to us and it is exciting to be back,” said Orie.

“I never got to represent the Stormers or Western Province at Newlands but I got a taste of being in the opposing team there. It was always a difficult place to play there as a member of a visiting team. But I think this venue is next level.”

Indeed, the Stormers enjoy an unbeaten run at home now of 12 games, which is also their winning sequence in all games as it stands currently. The Stormers will be wary of Edinburgh because they had patchy moments against Connacht last week, but they do have a strong team playing for them.

One of the most important selections is that of Damian Willemse, fast becoming an experienced and accomplished international player, at inside centre. That allows Suileman Hartzenberg to move from the midfield into the wing position he is probably slightly more used to, a move necessitated by the injury to Seabelo Senatla that will keep the former Blitzbok out of rugby for a few months.

The switch of position and return of Willemse are the only changes at the back, but there are a clutch of changes at forward, with Moerat coming in for last week’s captain Ernst van Rhyn in the second row and Deon Fourie returning on the side of the scrum in addition to Dweba coming into the front row.

Another Bok, scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, will play off the bench in the clash against Edinburgh.

DHL Stormers team: Clayton Blommetjies, Suileman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis, Damian Willemse, Angelo Davids, Manie Libbok, Paul de Wet, Evan Roos, Hacjivah Dayimani, Deon Fourie, Marvin Orie (captain), Salmaan Moerat, Neethling Fouche, Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak.

Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Sazi Sandi, Adre Smith, Ernst van Rhyn, Junior Pokomela, Herschel Jantjies, Sacha Mngomezulu.