Stormers shake up starting team for crucial URC clash with Dragons ahead of playoffs
While Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was at his attacking best in their last two home games, the Stormers pivot could be asked to play a different game plan against the Dragons in the expected wet weather conditions.
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The Stormers want to expand their player capacity ahead of the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs while maintaining the momentum of the last two games.
That is why director of rugby John Dobson decided on strategic positional changes for Saturday’s clash with the Dragons in Cape Town (6.15pm kick-off). While they are expecting a wet game, which could change their game plan slightly, they have largely stuck with the backline that ran Benetton to shreds a couple of weeks ago.
Outside centre Wandisile Simelane and winger Ben Loader will get some game time. It is to ensure if they are needed by the knockouts, they’ve had some playing minutes under their belt. That’s the only change amongst the backs. Up front, Vernon Matongo gets a start at loosehead, while Bok hooker Joseph Dweba is back in the middle of the scrum.
The expectation was for Manie Libbok to be involved in the game, but Dobson confirmed that the Bok flyhalf hasn’t received the green light to play, although he has been training with the team.
“God-willing we will be going to the playoffs and we need to have 28 or 29 players ready and we didn’t want to disrespect the Dragons by selecting extra players now,” Dobson explained his changes.
“We can’t have Wandi (Simelane) when we need to push on his button in the quarter-final, then he would not have played for six or seven weeks. Likewise, Joseph Dweba, not that I am saying he is not our number one hooker. We must, over the next two games, ensure we have a player base of 28 because we don’t know what injuries we will get. God-willing it is none.
“So, the logic is Wandi did very well in his previous spell for us. We might turn to him if we go up to Loftus (for a quarter) or something. He was exceptional for us there the last time.”
Dobson added that Dan du Plessis, regular centre mate of centurion Damian Willemse, picked up a small niggle against Benetton, but he will be ready to play off the bench against the Welsh club.
For tighthead Sazi Sandi and loosehead Vernon Matongo, it’s also a great opportunity to show their mettle against a side known for their scrummaging. Matongo gets a first start, while replacement tighthead Zachary Porthen is on the bench, looking to make an impact on his debut. They come in for the suspended Neethling Fouché and the injured duo of Frans Malherbe and Brok Harris, who was forced to retire after a season-ending knee injury against Benetton.
“I am pleasantly surprised with Vernon’s progress and really excited about his future. He is going to be a big player in South African rugby. We are giving him a chance to start while we can. It will be really good. He has played himself into the team that’s the truth.
“It will be an emotion-filled game because we are greeting Brokkie (Harris). Funnily, it’s nice that he is not playing if you worry about emotion affecting the team. It would have been tricky if he had been playing, as we would have had to deal with that.
“It is very serendipitous that the Dragons are here, and we’ve spoken about what he has meant to the team. Like I said before, with him not playing this or next week against Cardiff, it is a small drop in the ocean compared to the work he has done for us. It’s frustrating that it is like this.
“The team’s mindset will be to live up to Brokkie and not to play for him because he is not lying in a hospital bed. It’s about living up to what he would’ve done on the field. That was the message this week; to produce excellence.”
Captain Salmaan Moerat said the Dragons would be much more comfortable with the conditions expected on Saturday.
“They have a physical pack of forwards and one of the better loose trios around,” Moerat said of their opponents.
“The Dragons also has a great kicking game. We understand the permutations ahead and we are fully up for this one. It will be a different challenge to what we have been facing at home.”
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Vernon Matongo. Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Louw Nel, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Dan du Plessis, 23 Suleiman Hartzenberg.