Cape Town’s Stormers have named a Super rugby team with seven changes to the starting line up to play the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.
There are seven changes to the starting line-up, with four in the forward pack and three in the backline.
Siya Kolisi is back in the starting XV to lead the side from the side of the scrum, along with fellow Springboks Frans Malherbe and Damian de Allende who were rested last week.
Malherbe is joined in the front row by hooker Scarra Ntubeni alongside Steven Kitshoff, with Bongi Mbonambi and Wilco Louw among the replacements.
Lock JD Schickerling returns from injury and starts in the second row, with Eben Etzebeth also making his return from the replacements bench.
In the backline Jean-Luc du Plessis is back at flyhalf alongside inside centre De Allende, after both players were rested last week, with JJ Engelbrecht at outside centre in place of the injured Ruhan Nel.
Stormers Head Coach Robbie Fleck said that the value of the experience of the players returning cannot be underestimated.
“We will need all of our experience on Saturday in what will be a typically fierce derby at Newlands.
“It is great to welcome back some senior players for this game, but it will require a big effort from every single one of us to deliver the performance we are looking for on Saturday,” he said.
Stormers
15 Damian Willemse, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Ernst van Rhyn, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Joshua Stander, 23 Seabelo Senatla.
