Nizaam Carr
Nizaam Carr will lead the DHL Stormers into action for the 1st time, as the 2015 SA Conference winners face up to the Cell C Sharks in both teams’ final Vodacom Super Rugby league match of the season in Durban on Saturday.
Carr will line up at No 8 in a much-changed DHL Stormers team from last weekend, the new skipper the only surviving starting player from his team’s 19 / 19 draw against the Lions at DHL Newlands.
There are 3 DHL Stormers debutants in the matchday 23, with Robert du Preez starting at No 15 in his 1st taste of Super Rugby action and flanker Sikhumbuzo Notshe and hooker Michael Willemse making their 1st starts at this level.
Lock Jan de Klerk and scrumhalf Godlen Masimla will be looking to earn their 1st caps from the bench, whilst vice-captain Jaco Taute (inside centre – in his 50th overall Super Rugby appearance), Michael Rhodes (No 7) and Kobus van Wyk (on the bench) are back in the mix following their injury lay-offs.
DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee explained his selections on the www.iamastormer.com website: “We have a great opportunity here to give game time to some fringe players and to continue to increase the capacity within our squad.
“Players like Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Manny Carizza, Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen, Nic Groom, Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Dillyn Leyds and Cheslin Kolbe have played a lot of rugby and deserve a break.
“However, the likes of Oli Kebble, Vincent Koch, Ruan Botha, Michael Rhodes, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Jaco Taute, Johnny Kotze – to name just a few – are by no means 2nd-string players and they all have a massive opportunity to play for starting positions.
“We’re in a fortunate position to be able to select a talented group of players who have everything to play for against a Sharks team that will be fired up and looking to finish their season on a high.
“The Sharks are also saying goodbye to 3 big players, loyal servants, so we’re expecting a brutal clash and know we need to be up for this match – physically and mentally.”
DHL Stormers: 15 Robert du Preez, 14 Johnny Kotze, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Pat Howard, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr (Captain), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Oliver Kebble
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Alister Vermaak, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Jan de Klerk, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Seabelo Senatla, 23 Kobus van Wyk.
Date: Saturday 13 June
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-Off: 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT, Sunday 03:10 AEST, Sunday 05:10 NZ Time)
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Referees: Quinton Immelman, Archie Sehlako
TMO: Marius Jonker