Double Bok boost for Stormers
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The Stormers will welcome back SA Player of the Year Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth to the starting XV for the match against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday.
Vermeulen slots straight into the No.8 jersey and takes over the captaincy from Juan de Jongh, who deputised last week.
The influential No.8 missed last week’s 21-39 loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin as part of the SA franchises’ rest agreement with SA Rugby.
Nizaam Carr misses out after doing duty at No.8 against the Dunedin team – he falls out of the matchday squad all together.
Schalk Burger retains his No.7 jersey, partnering up with Siya Kolisi, who will make his 50th appearance for the Stormers, on the side of the scrum.
Etzebeth, after sitting on the bench last weekend, has recovered enough to be named in the starting XV with Jean Kleyn also dropping out of the squad.
On the bench, Ruan Botha returns to take Etzebeth's spot in the only change to the replacements.
The backline remains the same as last week.
The Stormers and Hurricanes have met on New Zealand soil on seven previous occasions, with the men from the Cape holding a narrow four to three head-to-head advantage.
Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Ruan Botha, 20 Michael Rhodes, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Kurt Coleman
23 Huw Jones.
Date: Friday, April 3
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 19.35 (08.35 SAST; 06.35 GMT)
Referee: Rohan Hoffmann
Assistant referees: Kane McBride, Mike Lash
TMO: Chris Wratt
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