Juan de Jongh
Centre Juan de Jongh has recovered from an ankle injury and will lead the DHL Stormers in their 3rd Vodacom Super Rugby tour match of 2015 – against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.
De Jongh was an 11th hour withdrawal from the team last weekend, but he is fit to take his place in the No 13 shirt this week and assume the leadership responsibilities in the absence of Duane Vermeulen, who is back in South Africa as part of the rest agreement with SA Rugby.
Nizaam Carr returns to the No 8 position in place of Vermeulen in a new-look loose trio, which sees vice-captain Schalk Burger pack down at No 6 and Michael Rhodes making his 1st start (at No 7) since picking up a knee injury against the Lions at the end of February.
Siya Kolisi drops to the bench after 2 successive starts on tour and will be joined amongst the replacements this week by prop Vincent Koch, lock Jean Kleyn and centre / wing Huw Jones.
Koch makes way for Frans Malherbe in the No 3 shirt – in what will be Springbok tighthead prop Malherbe’s 1st start of 2015 – Kleyn comes in for Ruan Botha as the lock replacement and Jones reverts to the bench after an impressive starting debut in place of De Jongh last week.
Speaking from Sydney on Thursday evening (local time), DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee told the www.iamastormer.com website: “We have kept continuity in our starting team, whilst also selecting a bench that can make an impact, in what we believe is the best possible DHL Stormers team to take on the Waratahs this week.
“Vincent Koch has done really well and has shown that he can perform at this level, but this is a good time to give Frans Malherbe a start,” explained Coetzee.
“If you look at our bench, the likes of Bongi Mbonambi, Oli Kebble, Vince, Jean Kleyn and Siya Kolisi can all make an impact as replacements, which gives us plenty of options and is part of our thinking.
“Siya loses out this week after playing very well on tour thus far, but Nemo has had to come in as the specialist No 8 and we feel that Mike Rhodes’s selection at No 7 gives us more balance in the loose trio and Schalk, as we know, can fill any role in the loose trio with ease.”
The DHL Stormers and ‘Tahs have met on 7 previous occasions in Sydney, with the hosts shading the head to head battle by 4 wins to 3. In all, these teams have played against each other 17 times, with the DHL Stormers winning 7 and losing 9 and the sides drawing 1.
Saturday’s match will get underway at 19:40 AEST, which is 11:40 SA Time and will be televised live on SuperSport 1.
DHL Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (Captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Schalk Burger (Vice-captain), 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Huw Jones.
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Peter Marshall (Australia)
Would love to have Vermeulen fit and playing, but I guess that this is as good as it gets.
Would’ve love to see Schalla ab Koch coming on together in the 2nd half. Can just imagine the kind of energy they would’ve bring to the forwards in the loos as well as the scrums. Would’ve timed their appearance to coincide with Skelton leaving the field of play. Hopefully we would’ve been still within reach at that stage.
That said…GO STORMERRRRRRRRRRRSSS.
It may look very improbably but as they say, everything is possible. Just a full 80 minutes of what you dished up in the 2nd half against the Canes and we’re in with a good chance to upset the champs at home.
@ Nama:
I’ll settle for Siya and Koch.
Rhodes is there to compensate for Carr, who is a good player but doesn’t bring the pain like Duanne does.
@ Stormersboy:
I just feel that Schalla brings more energy when he comes on as a sub and that that energize the already tiring players around him. Kolisi will no doubt do a sterling job when he comes on but he won’t be as infectious as Schalla energy wise imo.
But it is what it is and I’m 100% behind the team. AC obviously has his reason for selecting this starting 15.
@ Nama:
2
Just don’t bet the house on those Stormers!
As a supporter you must have been used to endless disappointments already?
😉
Nama wrote:
4
Hi Nama
I think I figured that ‘reason for selection’? 😉
@ Hondo:
I’m not going to bet anything on Stormers vs Tahs away from home. Just hoping for a good performance (a BP or two) and praying for an upset.
4 wins out of 7 is not too shabby at this stage. We still have 5 matches waiting at home and our tour is half way through. Last year a couple of teams got into the play-offs with only 8 wins. So, there’s still hope at this stage.
“I think I figured that ‘reason for selection’?”
Care to enlighten me? 🙄
@ Nama:
No question the Stormers were robbed last week, but then, the ‘Newlands Fortress’ still there?!
I accept the arithmetic but if they lose next 2 matches in Aus then they’ll have to travel at the playoffs, not a great prospect?
Too complicate for me to explain AC’s selection, it’s stars war stuff 😆 😆 😆
@ Hondo:
“I think I figured that ‘reason for selection’?”
@ Nama:
“Care to enlighten me?”
“Too complicate for me to explain AC’s selection, it’s stars war stuff 😆 😆 :lol:”
Meaning that you DON”T know.
Stop playing games, my friend. I’ve lost 3 girls tonight. All of them around 14 years old. Girls who looked me in the eyes just 4/5 months ago and who looked forward to the rest of their young lives. Their dreams were cut short.
My biggest concern right now is their tjommies they left behind. When it comes to things like this, it does not matter what you or anybody else “joke” about. It means NOTHING to me.
@ Nama:
Sorry to hear that Nama. Keep strong brother.
@ MacroBull:
Thanks Macro.
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