Share

Malherbe leads Stormers, Willemse at 10

Cape Town - Tighthead prop Frans Malherbe will captain the Stormers in the Super Rugby encounter with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday (15:05 kick-off).

With regular skipper Siya Kolisi and vice-captain Eben Ezebeth being rested, Malherbe takes the captaincy reins with wing Dilly Leyds named vice-captain for the South African derby.

Loosehead prop JC Janse van Rensburg returns from injury to take his place in the front row alongside Malherbe and hooker Ramone Samuels, who makes his first start of the season.

Bongi Mbonambi and Wilco Louw will provide front row cover off the bench, along with Steven Kitshoff who will make his first appearance for the Stormers since 2015 if called upon.

In the second row, Chris van Zyl takes Etzebeth’s place next to Pieter-Steph du Toit, with JD Schickerling as back-up amongst the replacements.

Rynhardt Elstadt also returns from injury to link up with Kobus van Dyk and Nizaam Carr in the loose trio, while Sikhumbuzo Notshe is set to provide impact as a replacement.

In the backline the experienced Jano Vermaak will link up with 19-year-old flyhalf Damian Willemse, who makes his first Stormers start having recently returned from duty at the World Rugby U20 Championships with the Junior Springboks.

In midfield, Kiwi Shaun Treeby partners Juan de Jongh, with EW Viljoen playing off the replacements bench for the first time this season.

The back three of Leyds, Cheslin Kolbe and SP Marais will start the game, while Sevens star Seabelo Senatla will inject some pace from the bench.

Stormers head coach Robbie Fleck said that his team will have to hit the ground running after the June break in what will be a typically tough derby in Bloemfontein.

“The Cheetahs are always a tough prospect on their home turf, so we will have to be sharp if we are to come away with the win we are looking for,” he said.

“The players have trained well this week and we are excited to see what they are able to produce in Bloemfontein.”

Teams:

Cheetahs

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter (captain), 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Henco Venter, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Armandt Koster, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Elandre Huggett, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Oupa Mohoje, 21 Fred Zeilinga, 22 Ruan van Rensburg, 23 William Small-Smith

Stormers

15 SP Marais, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Dillyn Leyds (vice-captain), 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Kobus van Dyk, 6 Rynardt Elstadt, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Chris van Zyl, 3 Frans Malherbe (captain), 2 Ramone Samuels, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 EW Viljoen, 23 Seabelo Senatla

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1170 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1364 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2074 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE