Stormers' shock selection
Stormers hooker Deon Fourie will start at No.8 in a main selection bolter ahead of their final Super Rugby league fixture, against the Rebels at Newlands on Saturday.
The Stormers have lost a string of players in the position this season, with Nick Koster, Duane Vermeulen and Nizaam Carr all sidelined through injury, and with Canadian import Jebb Sinclair not eligible for the play-offs Fourie will get a chance to show what he has to offer in the position.
Coach Allister Coetzee explained that he made the call based on the dynamic Fourie's good recent form and the fact that he is well suited to the role.
"We need to look at all of the options that we have got with Jebb Sinclair not qualifying to play [in the play-offs].
"The first thing is to get your best players on the field. You have seen how well Deon Fourie has performed in the last couple of games.
"I think Deon is a skilful player, he is a player who likes to be out first, and at No.8 he can be out first at scrum and line-out time," he said.
Siya Kolisi played at No.8 against the Lions two weeks ago, but Coetzee said that he is reluctant to move him from openside flank based on the effective partnership he has formed with Rynhardt Elstadt on the side of the scrum.
"Siya and Rynhardt have played consistently at six and seven, so they have established a bit of a combination so I would like to keep it like that and see how Deon goes at No.8," said Coetzee.
The Stormers, who have already secured the South African conference, also named two specialist props on the bench.
Coetzee said that this was a bonus given Fourie's ability to shift to hooker if required.
Flyhalf Peter Grant is suffering from flu and did not train with the team on Wednesday but Coetzee is confident that he will be fully fit to take on the Rebels by Saturday.
A win against the lowly Rebels will guarantee the Cape Town franchise a top-two finish and a week's break in the first round of the play-offs – not to mention that they will also have home ground advantage in the semifinals.
Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Deon Fourie, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 De Kock Steenkamp, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Brok Harris, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 Quinn Roux, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Louis Schrueder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.
Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
