Share

Stormers stick with Jantjies

Cape Town - Coach Allister Coetzee has made five changes to the Stormers team to take on the Cheetahs at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 17:05.

Of the five changes, one is positional, and two are injury-enforced after last weekend's 19-14 defeat to the Crusaders; with Steven Kitshoff, Michael Rhodes, Nic Groom and Jaco Taute all coming into the starting XV.

Kitshoff is back from his one-game suspension, whilst Rhodes and Taute replace Rynhardt Elstadt (shoulder) and Gerhard van den Heever (knee), respectively. Taute will line up at fullback, with Joe Pietersen shifting to the right-wing.

Rhodes will make his Stormers debut in the No 7 jersey, having played for the Western Province Vodacom Cup team in recent weeks.

Two other members of the WP Vodacom Cup team have also been elevated to the Stormers squad ahead of Saturday, with lock Gerbrandt Grobler (on debut) and flyhalf Gary van Aswegen starting from the bench.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Stormers boss Coetzee said: "We've seen how well the Crusaders did their homework and we know that we can expect the same from the Cheetahs.

"This week we'll have to show improvement in all facets of the game if we want to do well against the Cheetahs. It's never easy in Bloemfontein, it's going to be a tough (South African) derby... but we need to focus on our game."

Lock Andries Bekker will play in his 100th match for the Stormers, making him the first Stormers player to reach this landmark for the franchise.

Teams:


Cheetahs:

15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johan Sadie, 2 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Phillip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Trevor Nyakane

Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuisen, 18 Rynhard Landman, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Ryno Benjamin

Stormers:

15. Jaco Taute, 14. Joe Pietersen, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean de Villiers (captain), 11. Gio Aplon, 10. Elton Jantjies 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Michael Rhodes, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. Andries Bekker, 4. De Kock Steenkamp, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Deon Fourie, 1. Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Pat Cilliers, 18. Gerbrandt Grobler, 19. Nizaam Carr, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Gary van Aswegen, 22. Damian de Allende
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% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 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