Siya Kolisi returns to Cape Town
12/28/2024 04:25 AM
Warrick Gelant will make his 50th appearance for the Stormers in the crunch United Rugby Championship (URC) derby against the Sharks at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 17:00.
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The Stormers host their coastal rivals in Round 9 of the competition, with the Sharks chasing the season sweep after winning this derby in Durban at the end of November.
Gelant starts his milestone match at fullback in a back three that features Suleiman Hartzenberg on the right wing while speedster Seabelo Senatla comes in for the injured Leolin Zas.
Playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has recovered from a hip pointer suffered in last week's bonus-point win over the Lions to retain his spot at inside centre.
Veteran flanker Deon Fourie will captain the team for the second week in a row as part of an unchanged forward pack.
Hooker Andre-Hugo Venter and lock Ruben van Heerden are set to make an impact off the bench, with director of rugby John Dobson opting for a 6-2 split among the replacements.
Siya Kolisi passed fit
Meanwhile, Siya Kolisi was one of three Sharks forwards passed fit for Saturday's match.
No 8 Kolisi (calf injury), hooker Dylan Richardson and lock Emile van Heerden (both illness) were late withdrawals before last week's 20-17 home win against the Bulls.
In changes to the Sharks backline, Ethan Hooker shifts from outside centre to the left wing to accommodate the absence of Makazole Mapimpi, with Jurenzo Julius starting at 13.
"For us, this week was about getting a few bodies back for this match," said Sharks coach John Plumtree.
"We had eight forwards out from the pack against the Bulls but the nice thing about coming back from England and getting a win against them is that the boys will go into this game with a bit of confidence.
"Going down to Cape Town and beating the Stormers isn't an easy task – it's been a while since we won down there – but we're looking forward to it. Both teams play a pretty expansive game and it should be entertaining to watch.
"Up front, we know the boys will have to play well at set-piece time, and we're looking forward to that battle."
The Sharks are fifth in the 16-team standings with 23 points after seven matches.
The Stormers are down in 13th place with 16 points after a similar number of games played.
TEAMS
Stormers
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak
Substitutes: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Jean-Luc du Plessis
Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Bryce Calvert, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Francois Venter
What will be the final score come full-time at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
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