Dobson tweaks Stormers team for Sharks clash
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Stormers head coach John Dobson has tweaked his starting team for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship Round Nine clash against the Sharks.
Hooker Scarra Ntubeni will reach 100 Stormers caps in the coastal clash at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Ntubeni starts at hooker in the only change to the starting forward pack, while the only change to the backline sees Dan du Plessis make his return from injury at inside centre.
There are a few changes on the replacements bench with forwards Hendre Stassen and Marcel Theunissen included this week, while scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies makes his return from injury and utility back Jurie Matthee is set for his first URC appearance.
Stormers head coach John Dobson paid tribute to Ntubeni, who made his debut back in 2011 and has never played for another team.
It’s an incredible achievement when you consider the injury setbacks Scarra has had in his career.”
He is a top player and a special person who has been a favourite of the “fans for many years. We are incredibly proud of him and hopefully we can all make it memorable for him.
The support we got last week was phenomenal and really lifted the team, so everyone is looking forward to another special occasion at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday,” he said.
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Hendre Stassen, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Date: Saturday, December 30
Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
#ICYMI: Stormers star reflects on career decisions as Sharks loom 👇#URC #Stormers #Sharks #STOvSHA https://t.co/UOsbONVBf1
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) December 29, 2023
