In the upcoming United Rugby Championship match, scheduled for Saturday at 16:00 at DHL Stadium, the Stormers team will face the Scarlets. Flanker Paul de Villiers will continue to lead the team.
De Villiers took on the role of captain last week when centre Rohan Nel was excluded from the squad before the Champions Cup match against Bristol Bears.
The team's squad is a combination of experienced Springbok players and young talents. In the 23-man squad, besides De Villiers, there are three former junior Springbok captains: Riley Norton, Zachary Porten, and Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Team Changes
Among the changes in the backline, Marcus Müller starts for the franchise for the first time as an inside centre, playing alongside Vandisile Simelane in the midfield, while Nel continues to rest as a precaution.
Experienced Warwick Gelant starts at fullback, and Hashim Pead receives his first start at scrum-half. Among the substitutes are experienced international player Kobus Reinhart and young prospect Yakin Ahmed, who are expected to make an impact in the second half.
In the loose trio, Hakjiva Daimani returns to position #8 after recovering from a concussion, forcing Evan Rus to shift to the blind side flank. The completely new lock line includes Norton paired with Connor Evans, and J.D. Shickering and Andre Smith are ready to come on as substitutes.
In attack, the front line is entirely composed of Springbok players: Porten, Andre-Hugo Winter, and Ntutuko Mchunu. They are supported by front-row substitutes Ollie Reed, Lukahngwo Vokozela, and Nitling Fosher.
Management Comments
Stormers rugby director John Dobson expressed confidence in the dynamic squad as the team aims to maintain its winning streak against the Welsh rivals. Dobson noted that the team has four young players—Marcus Müller, Riley Norton, Ollie Reed, and Yakin Ahmed—who play for the DHL Stormers Bolts alongside veterans such as Deon Fury, who is the club's second-highest match participant.
He added that both the starting lineup and the bench have very dynamic combinations that will be tested against the Scarlets, who showed an impressive start to the season. Dobson also mentioned that they enjoyed great support this month and are all looking forward to the electric atmosphere at DHL Stadium.
Stormers vs Scarlets Squad
The starting lineup includes: 15 Warwick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Vandisile Simelane, 12 Marcus Müller, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Hashim Pead, 8 Hakjiva Daimani, 7 Evan Rus, 6 Paul de Villiers (captain), 5 Connor Evans, 4 Riley Norton, 3 Zachary Porten, 2 Andre-Hugo Winter, 1 Ntutuko Mchunu. Substitutes: 16 Lukahngwo Vokozela, 17 Ollie Reed, 18 Nitling Fosher, 19 Andre Smith, 20 J.D. Shickering, 21 Deon Fury, 22 Kobus Reinhart, 23 Yakin Ahmed.