Jean leads Stormers into battle
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will lead the Stormers into battle in their second pre-season friendly, when the men from the Cape take on franchise neighbours Boland Cavaliers at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
As promised, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has mixed up his selection this week – from last Saturday against the Cheetahs – with De Villiers, Deon Fourie and Andries Bekker all coming into the line-up.
In the absence of Juan de Jongh (hamstring), De Villiers will slot in alongside rookie Damian de Allende, whilst Bekker will form an imposing all-Springbok second row alongside Eben Etzebeth and Fourie will be propped up by Bok Pat Cilliers and Baby Bok Steven Kitshoff in the front row.
Duane Vermeulen, who captained the team in Bloemfontein last weekend and will be vice-captain this week, will continue at No.8 but he will have new flanks in the shape of Rynhardt Elstadt and Siya Kolisi, with Don Armand and Nizaam Carr starting on an enlarged bench.
There will be 11 players on the bench this week, with Brok Harris, Nic Groom and Joe Pietersen all in line to make their first appearances of 2013 after not travelling to Bloemfontein.
Both Groom and Louis Schreuder – the scrumhalves in the 2012 Currie Cup Final – will start from the bench, with Dewaldt Duvenage, who continues to make his way back to full fitness after suffering a leg injury last year, starting at No.9.
Stormers: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements – from: Martin Bezuidenhout, Frans Malherbe, Brok Harris, De Kock Steenkamp, Don Armand, Nizaam Carr, Nic Groom, Louis Schreuder, Pat Howard, Gerhard van den Heever, Joe Pietersen.
Date: Saturday, February 9
Venue: Cape Town Stadium
Kick-off: 14.45 (12.45 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
