Stormers load up on experience for Galway grind
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Stormers added considerable experience to their starting XV for the United Rugby Championship crunch match on Galway on Saturday.
Damian Willemse, Hacjivah Dayimani and Brok Harris all come into the Stormers’ starting line-up for the encounter with Connacht.
The Stormers are looking to make it back-to-back wins on the road when they take on the Irish side at the Sportsground.
Willemse slots in at inside centre, with Dan du Plessis shifting to No.13 in the only changes to the backline that featured in the win against Dragons in Newport last week.
There is also a positional switch for Evan Roos, who moves to openside flank, with Dayimani starting at the back of the scrum this week.
The experienced Harris will start at loosehead prop, alongside the Springbok front row duo of Frans Malherbe and Joseph Dweba.
Prop Kwenzo Blose and loose forward Marcel Theunissen are the only new additions among the replacements.
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Evan Roos, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Date: Saturday, May 18
Venue: Sportsground, Galway
Kick-off: 17.05 (18.05 SA time; 16.05 GMT)
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ireland) and Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)
