Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Siya Kolisi is back to lead a DHL Stormers team that will be without their star player Pieter-Steph du Toit for Saturday’s return Vodacom Super Rugby derby against the Emirates Lions at Newlands.
Springbok lock Du Toit was listed as ill earlier this week when coach Robbie Fleck spoke about the heat stroke that had afflicted his team during and after their clash with the Sunwolves in Hong Kong. He is still on the indisposed list, which will be a big loss to the Stormers as he has been an inspirational presence and consistently their best forward during a generally unremarkable season for the Cape franchise.
Du Toit, after playing all but one of the Stormers games thus far, was arguably in need of a rest anyway, but coach Robbie Fleck would have wanted him to be available for the clash with the South African conference front-runners.
Fleck has made a couple of changes to the team that lost in the last seconds to the Sunwolves, although the only one at the back is the return of Raymond Rhule on the left wing for Seabelo Senatla, who has been released to play for the Blitzboks in the last two tournaments of the World Sevens Series.
EW Viljoen and the ever improving Craig Barry join scrumhalf Paul de Wet in providing the backline cover.
Jan de Klerk joins Chris van Zyl, who led the team in Kolisi’s absence last week, in the second row as the replacement for Du Toit, while there has been a reshuffle in the back-row. Sikhumbuzo Notshe will get a chance to celebrate his landmark 50th cap as the starting No 8 in place of Nizaam Carr, who drops to the bench. Kolisi replaces Kobus Wiese, who also moves to the bench.
The good news from the national perspective is that Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi will get a chance to play his first Super Rugby match of the season off the bench which should be enough to clear him to be part of the Bok squad for the June internationals. Bok loosehead Steven Kitshoff will also play off the bench after recovering from the injury that prevented him from playing in Hong Kong.
With Frans Malherbe and Carr also on the bench, the Stormers have four players among the complement of five forwards on the bench who boast international experience, something that could come in handy if they hope to stay the pace with opponents who put more than 50 points past them the last time the teams played one another.
DHL Stormers team: SP Marais, Dillyn Leyds, JJ Engelbrecht, Damian de Allende, Raymond Rhule, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Dewaldt Duvenage, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Kobus van Dyk, Siya Kolisi (captain), Chris van Zyl, Jan de Klerk, Wilco Louw, Ramone Samuels, JC Janse van Rensburg. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Cobus Wiese, Nizaam Carr, Paul de Wet, EW Viljoen, Craig Barry.