World's best player back for Stormers
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit will make his long-awaited return from injury for the Stormers.
He will start on the flank in the Rainbow Cup SA opener against the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Du Toit was originally sidelined with a leg injury at the end of February last year and will run out in a starting line-up featuring seven Springboks which will be led by skipper Steven Kitshoff.
Lock Marvin Orie and No.8 Willie Engelbrecht will both play their first competitive match for the Stormers in the coastal clash against the Durban side.
Du Toit and Engelbrecht are joined by openside flank Nama Xaba in the loose trio, while Orie is partnered by John Schickerling at lock and the experienced trio of Kitshoff, Siyabonga Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe start in the front row.
Herschel Jantjies and Kade Wolhuter make an exciting halfback pairing, with Rikus Pretorius and Ruhan Nel in the midfield, while Damian Willemse, Seabelo Senatla and Edwill van der Merwe provide plenty of strike options out wide.
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements – from: 16 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Abner van Reenen, 23 Dan du Plessis, 24 David Meihuizen, 25 Marcel Theunissen, 26 Leolin Zas.
Date: Saturday, May 1
Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 14.00 (12.00 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Adriaan Jacobs, Aimee Barrett-Theron
TMO: Stuart Berry
Here is your DHL Stormers team that will take on the Cell C Sharks in the PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA opener. #iamastormer #dhldelivers
📆 Saturday, 1 May
⏰ 14h00
📍 Cape Town Stadium
📺 @SuperSportTV pic.twitter.com/wJyLA0K4mJ— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) April 30, 2021
