'Brannas' returns to lead Bok-boosted Stormers

Deon Fourie is one of several Springboks who have returned to the DHL Stormers match day squad for Saturday’s crucial Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with log leaders Leinster in Dublin and will lead the side from his usual position of openside flank.

Regular captain Salmaan Moerat is still in the match day squad but will add valuable input as an impact player from the bench in this game, with JD Schickerling, who was a replacement in the final Investec Champions Cup group game against Racing 92 in Paris last week, returning to the second row.

Our team to take on Leinster in the @Vodacom #URC at the Aviva on Saturday night ⛈️

📢 Team announcement https://t.co/43txTUBMsw#LEIvSTO #iamastormer pic.twitter.com/WCtGJKwPWs

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 24, 2025

Just how director of rugby John Dobson is going to accommodate the quality locks he has at his disposal is one of the pleasing quandaries he faces now that the injury crisis of the early parts of the season has started subsiding and a flood of Springboks are coming back into the system.

Ben-Jason Dixon wasn’t injured but was being rested as per the Bok resting protocols when the Stormers played against the Sale Sharks and Racing 92.

His last game for the Stormers was the coastal derby against the Sharks on 28 December, but he’s back now in his regular position of blindside flank, where he replaces Dave Ewers.

Marcel Theunissen is the man who makes way for the return of Fourie, known as ‘Brannas’ to his mates and within the Stormers team, but in his case he won’t be dropping out of the match day squad altogether.

The versatile looseforward, who has had a good run in the Stormers back row this season, is one of six forwards on the bench, with the promising Paul de Villiers again set to provide a cameo from the bench and back-up for Fourie.

With Evan Roos’s facial injury sustained in Paris obviously not serious enough from preventing him from playing, and the Bok starting again at No 8, this game will see the Stormers back row at full strength for the first time this season.

Hooker Joseph Dweba, another player who has been capped for the Boks, was another player doubtful for this game after he suffered a “stinger” that forced him off early against Racing.

However, the decision to take him off always looked like a precautionary measure and Dweba has been included in a front row that will this week feature Neethling Fouche as the tighthead starter instead of Bok strongman Frans Malherbe, who moves into the bench position Malherbe occupied last week.

With Ali Vermaak back at loosehead the Stormers are showcasing their depth in the front row, as well as the interchangeability of the players who play there.

Sti Sithole played well against both Sale and Racing but this week he will be watching from the stands as veteran Brok Harris comes back onto the bench.

Another Bok back in the Stormers team after sitting out last week is flyhalf Manie Libbok, as is the man of the match from the Sale game, fullback Warrick Gelant.

The latter replaces Clayton Blommetjies while it is Jurie Matthee who makes way for Libbok.

It wasn’t only Boks that sat out last week, there were also some other regular frontline players absent, and one of those is Ruhan Nel, who is back in his usual No 13 jersey for the first time since the game against the Sharks before New Year.

The man who did well in his absence, Wandisile Simelane, remains in the squad as the only outside back on the bench.

Another first choice player back in the starting team after injury is Leolin Zas, who was injured playing against the Emirates Lions in Cape Town four days before Christmas.

Unfortunately in his case he is coming in for a player who has been in good form recently but is now injured - Suleiman Hartzenberg.

Jonathan Roche continues as the inside centre, but another change to the backline comes at scrumhalf, where veteran Dewaldt Duvenage is replaced by Paul de Wet.

Another Bok, Herschel Jantjies, is on the bench, which was where he was in the Paris game.

DHL STORMERS TEAM: Warrick Gelant, Ben Loader, Ruhan Nel, Jonathan Roche, Leolin Zas, Manie Libbok, Paul de Wet, Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Deon Fourie (captain), Ruben van Heerden, JD Schickerling, Neethling Fouche, Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak.

Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Herschel Jantjies, Wandisile Simelane.