Stormers unleash big guns for Champions Cup opener

THE Stormers have sent a clear message of intent ahead of their Investec Champions Cup opener against Bristol Bears at DHL Stadium on Saturday, naming a strong matchday squad earlier than usual as they look to make their mark in Europe.

Director of Rugby John Dobson announced his squad yesterday rather than the customary Thursday, saying the move was aimed at building interest in the fixture and giving supporters the opportunity to plan their weekend around seeing some of their favourite players in action.

South African teams have yet to reach the Champions Cup semi-finals, with the Stormers’ best performance being a quarter-final appearance in the 2022/23 season. While local sides have sometimes rotated their squads in the competition, the Stormers are determined to approach this campaign differently.

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“We want to market these events. The Champions Cup is a year behind the URC (United Rugby Championship) in South Africa, and Bristol Bears have never been here. So just by virtue of us announcing the team, we might get more interest in the game,” Dobson said.

“I just want to create some interest in the game. It also gives some confidence to our group — we are clear, we’re upfront. It’s not something we’ll do all the time.

“Last week we announced the team on Wednesday and ended up with a really nice crowd. Hopefully, if you see some of your local heroes, whether it’s Deon Fourie, Ruhan Nel or Siya Kolisi, you know they’re a team and you can plan your Saturday around it.

“It’s more considerate to the public as well.”

The squad announcement also brings encouraging news on the injury front, with No 8 Evan Roos set to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Roos’ return comes at a timely moment, with Hacjivah Dayimani ruled out because of concussion. The other changes to the starting line-up see an entirely new front row selected following last week’s victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks.

Vernon Matongo, JJ Kotzé and Sazi Sandi will start in the front row, while André-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu and Zachary Porthen provide further options from the replacements bench.

There is continuity in the backline, which remains unchanged, while Warrick Gelant is included among the replacements for the European clash.

Dobson stressed the importance of getting off to a strong start, particularly with home results likely to play a significant role in determining who progresses from the pool stage.

“We saw last season how important collecting points in the pool phase is in the Investec Champions Cup, which makes your home matches crucial,” he said.

“We have kept a fair amount of continuity in selection as we look to build on some of the momentum from last week’s win. While it is disappointing to lose Hacivah to concussion, we are able to call on Evan, who is raring to go, along with the new front row.”

With the squad settled and anticipation growing, Dobson is hoping the Stormers faithful can once again provide the atmosphere that makes DHL Stadium such a difficult venue for visiting teams.

“The team is still buzzing from the incredible atmosphere created by our fans last week, and we can’t wait to experience it all again as we take on a strong Bristol side that showed they understand what it takes to win in South Africa with a notable victory at Loftus Versfeld last season,” he added.

Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 JJ Kotzé, 1 Vernon Matongo.

Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Riley Norton, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Haashim Pead, 23 Warrick Gelant.