Fouché To Captain In URC Finale
Tighthead prop Neethling Fouché will captain the DHL Stormers in their final Vodacom United Rugby Championship league match of the season against Cardiff Rugby on Friday night.
Fouché takes over the captaincy with Deon Fourie sidelined by a knee injury and Ruhan Nel still recovering from a calf issue, as the Stormers conclude the regular season at Cardiff Arms Park. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 (SAST) on Friday.
There are just two changes to the forward pack, with Fouché starting in the front row and Paul de Villiers coming in at openside flank in place of Fourie.
Salmaan Moerat returns from injury on a replacements bench that also includes hooker JJ Kotzé and loose forward Marcel Theunissen.
In the backline, there is an entirely new midfield pairing of Jonathan Roche and Wandisile Simelane, while Damian Willemse shifts to fullback and Suleiman Hartzenberg comes in on the right wing.
Director of Rugby John Dobson said his side is determined to finish the regular season strongly.
“We would obviously like to finish as high up the standings as possible and carry winning momentum into the play-offs, but there are also some rotations in the squad as we look to build maximum depth ahead of the knock-out stages.
“There were some lessons to take from our draw in Belfast last week, and we know it will require a big effort to overcome what will be a desperate Cardiff side.
“Although we have already secured a home quarter-final, there is still plenty to play for, and everyone is excited for the challenge at Cardiff Arms Park,” he said.
DHL Stormers
15. Damian Willemse
14. Suleiman Hartzenberg
13. Wandisile Simelane
12. Jonathan Roche
11. Leolin Zas
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9. Imad Khan
8. Evan Roos
7. Ben-Jason Dixon
6. Paul de Villiers
5. Ruben van Heerden
4. Adré Smith
3. Neethling Fouché (captain)
2. André-Hugo Venter
- Ntuthuko Mchunu
Replacements
16. JJ Kotzé
17. Oli Kebble
18. Zachary Porthen
19. Salmaan Moerat
20. Marcel Theunissen
21. Keke Morabe
22. Stefan Ungerer
23. Jurie Matthee
