Stormers' Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse 'genuinely keen' to face Scarlets

When Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse became available for the Stormers,

When Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse became available for the Stormers, there wasn’t even a long discussion about including them in the starting line-up for Friday’s clash with the Scarlets in Wales.

The Springbok duo will start at flyhalf and fullback respectively in Llanelli (8.45pm kick-off), with the Cape side targeting the match as a chance to get off to a good start in their first overseas game of the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season.

After two home victories, the former champions will now look to carry that momentum forward as they aim to remain unbeaten in the early stages of the tournament. On this tour, they will also face Italian sides Zebre and Benetton, and have set a realistic target of staying unbeaten.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Willemse will play a major role in that ambition on Friday, with the pair expected to add spark and firepower to the Stormers’ backline. They’ll be hoping the forwards can lay a solid foundation at set-piece time to provide the attacking platform they need.

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said during the team announcement that there was little debate about getting the Bok duo involved.

“They were in the UK, we were coming here, and they wanted to play,” Dobson said about the pair.

“We had a couple of Zoom calls with them over the last few weeks to plan their programme for the season. They have their mandatory rest, but we want to go beyond that — we want them to always be fresh. They genuinely were keen and wanted to play. We are super chuffed to have them.”

Dobson added that scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will join the squad at some stage of the tour — possibly as early as next week — but he will definitely be involved for his debut against Benetton in the final tour match.

With Wandisile Simelane performing well at full-back, Dobson said the plan was always to bring Willemse into the No 15 role and move Simelane back to outside centre. He’ll pair up in midfield with captain Ruhan Nel.

The Stormers have also refreshed their front row, with props Ali Vermaak and Sazi Sandi joining hooker JJ Kotze. The trio are starting together for the first time but are expected to provide a solid platform in the scrums. Lock Ruben van Heerden also makes his first start alongside JD Schickerling in a strong lineout combination.

“The Scarlets have pushed us hard in the games we’ve played here, including earlier this year. We’ve had some poor starts in the past, and then some reasonable ones. The difference a good start makes to your camp, your style of rugby, and even selection, is crucial.

“We want as good a start as possible and to make this the most successful Stormers tour yet. That makes the Scarlets match an important one. In a league like this, every match matters if you want to host a home play-off.

“To achieve that, you have to win away — and we know our touring record. It’s important for us to make a statement on Friday.”

Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Ruhan Nel (captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Ali Vermaak.

Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Jurie Matthee.