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
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
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