Siya Kolisi will captain the Stormers from No 8 in their SuperHero Sunday warm-up clash with the Sharks in Soweto.
The Stormers will conclude their pre-season fixtures this weekend as they face the Kings in Knysna on Friday and the Sharks at the FNB Stadium on Sunday.
Stormers coach John Dobson has named both teams, which have some overlapping as some players will feature at both Loerie Park on Friday night and in Soweto on Sunday afternoon.
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There are three Springboks in the forward pack that will run out against the Kings, in tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, who will captain the side, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and lock Hilton Lobberts.
Lobberts will be joined by the likes of Godlen Masimla, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Seabelo Senatla and Ben-Jason Dixon in starting lineup against the Kings and then travelling up to Soweto to feature on the replacements bench against the Sharks.
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The team that will start at 1pm on Sunday features six Springboks, including captain Siya Kolisi who will be at the back of the scrum at No 8. Kolisi is joined in the loose trio by Ernst van Rhyn and rookie Nama Xaba.
Damian Willemse and Herschel Jantjies form the halfback pair in a strong backline which features Dillyn Leyds and Sergeal Petersen in the back three, while Ruhan Nel is in midfield alongside Junior Springbok vice-captain Rikus Pretorius.
Bok flank and 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit will miss the match with a shoulder niggle, but is expected to be fit to start in the Stormers’ opener against the Hurricanes on 1 February.
Stormers (vs Kings) – 15 David Kriel, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Michal Hazner, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Johan du Toit, 7 De Wet Marais, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 Ben-Jason Dixon, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Frans Malherbe (c), 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Subs: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 DJ Putter, 19 Ruan Laubser, 20 Hannes Gous, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Abner van Reenen, 23 Sihle Njezula, 24 Lyle Hendricks.
Stormers (vs Sharks) – 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Thys Kitshoff, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 24 Seabelo Senatla, 25 Michal Hazner, 26 David Kriel.
Photo: EPA/NIC BOTHMA
