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Willemse at centre in 100th game for Stormers but there's no Manie

football09 May 2025 09:43| © SuperSport
By:Gavin Rich
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Damian Willemse © Gallo Images

DHL Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has come up with some unexpected selections for Saturday’s penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship league game against the Dragons in Cape Town.

There was plenty of expectation that this game would see the return to the playing field, if not the starting team, of Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok. That was after both assistant coach Dawie Snyman and Damian Willemse, who plays his landmark hundredth game for the Stormers with the No 12 on his back in this game, hinted strongly early in the week that Libbok would be back in the mix.

However, whether it was a bit of subterfuge or there has been a late setback in Libbok’s return from an injury he sustained playing against Leinster in Dublin in January, the flyhalf is not in the Stormers squad at all for this game. Which would actually be in keeping with what Dobson said after the last fixture against Benetton - he said Libbok would be back for the last league game and probably play off the bench.

That last league game is next Friday, when a far tougher proposition when it comes to Welsh teams come to town in the form of Cardiff, who are currently one point ahead of the Stormers in fifth place on the URC log. Presumably, that will be the Stormers’ full dress rehearsal for the quarterfinal, which, if results go according to expectation, should be against the Sharks in Durban in early June.

In this game there is a bit of a mix and match to the selection, with Wandesile Simelane returning to the No 13 outside centre jersey for the first time in a while to partner Willemse in the midfield, while stalwart and regular starter Dan du Plessis plays off the bench. Ben Loader comes in at wing in another change from the backline that started the 56-5 rout of Benetton two weeks ago.

There are two changes to the pack as well, with Joseph Dweba back as the starting hooker and Andre-Hugo Venter dropping out completely to allow JJ Kotze to perform the back-up role from the bench.

Vernon Matongo, who has impressed as a replacement in the past few games, gets his first start in the No 1 jersey, with Ali Vermaak covering on the bench alongside tighthead reserve Zacharay Porthen, the 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain who has been called in for his debut appearance (when he comes onto the field) because of the injury that ended the career of veteran Brok Harris.

There’s no sign of JD Schickerling in the match day squad, so Connor Evans will be the reserve lock and if the youngster is to get game time, this is a good time to do it. Dobson has gone for a five/three split between forwards and backs this week, with Suleiman Hartzenberg continuing on the bench as the second outside back alongside Du Plessis.

The selections for the Dragons game might well have been directed around the short turnaround before Friday’s crucial clash with Cardiff. If the Stormers get full points from the Dragons game and the Bulls beat Cardiff in the earlier game to be played on South African soil on Saturday, they will go ahead of Cardiff into fifth position. Regardless of the results this week, the Stormers will probably be in a position where they have to beat Cardiff to secure their preferred finishing position.

DHL STORMERS TEAM: Warrick Gelant, Ben Loader, Wandisile Simelane, Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Stefan Ungerer, Evan Roos, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Sazi Sandi, Joseph Dweba, Vernon Matongo. Replacements: JJ Kotze, Ali Vermaak, Zacharay Porthen, Connor Evans, Louw Nel, Paul de Wet, Dan du Plessis, Suleiman Hartzenberg.

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