Stormers get Bok champ boost
Today at 06:02 AM
Deon Fourie leads a Stormers match-day 23 boasting fellow Springbok World Cup winners Manie Libbok and Warrick Gelant against Vodacom URC front-runners Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.
The Stormers will resume their league campaign on the back of a European cup defeat to Racing 92 in Paris. In 10th place on the URC table with a 4-4 record, the Stormers face a huge challenge at the Aviva Stadium against log-leaders Leinster, who have won all nine of their matches so far this season.
Fourie, who was rested for the La Defense Arena clash, is one of several key players making their return to action for the Cape outfit in the Irish capital. He will combine with the powerful Evan Roos and Ben-Jason Dixon in an all-Bok back row this week.
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The towering JD Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden pack down in the second row while, up front, Bok hooker Joseph Dweba slots in between veteran loosehead prop Ali Vermaak and scrum anchor Neethling Fouche.
Speedster Leolin Zas wears the No 11 jersey, on the opposite end of the line to Ben Loader. Gelant replaces Clayton Blommetjies at fullback to complete an exciting back three for the visitors.
Libbok and Paul de Wet link up to form a new-look halfback pairing, and the seasoned Ruhan Nel partners rookie Jonathan Roche in midfield.
Boks Salmaan Moerat, Frans Malherbe, Andre-Hugo Venter and Herschel Jantjies are set to make an impact off the bench along with Brok Harris, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers and Wandisile Simelane.
STORMERS – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Bench: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Wandisile Simelane.
Our team to take on Leinster in the @Vodacom#URC at the Aviva on Saturday night
Team announcement https://t.co/43txTUBMsw#LEIvSTO#iamastormerpic.twitter.com/WCtGJKwPWs
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 24, 2025
Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
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