“The World Cup Blueprint” – Dobson Recalls Reinach And Fourie For Stormers’ French Mission
Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach makes his highly anticipated return from injury for the DHL Stormers as John Dobson rings several changes for Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 clash against RC Toulon.
The Stormers are fighting for a quarter-final berth when they face the French giants at the iconic Stade Félix Mayol, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00.
Reinach will partner Jurie Matthee in a completely restructured halfback pairing. On the bench, Imad Khan and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu provide cover alongside Wandisile Simelane in a tactical 5-3 split.
In the tight five, props Neethling Fouché and Oli Kebble earn starts following their dominant second-half performances against Edinburgh last weekend. Meanwhile, the versatile Deon Fourie reprises his 2023 Rugby World Cup Final role, providing expert hooker cover for starter André-Hugo Venter.
Connor Evans joins Adré Smith in the engine room, while Hacjivah Dayimani returns to the starting loose trio alongside Evan Roos and Paul de Villiers. Dayimani replaces Ben-Jason Dixon, who was ruled out due to a concussion sustained against Edinburgh.
Director of Rugby John Dobson emphasized that his squad is prepared for the cauldron of the south of France.
“We have come up against RC Toulon in this competition before, so we know that we can expect intensity for 80 minutes on the pitch. What will be a new experience for us is to play at the Stade Felix Mayol, which is renowned for its unique atmosphere.
“We have picked a team that we feel can sustain a significant challenge from start to finish, and we are all looking forward to what should be a great occasion for rugby,” he said.
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Damian Willemse, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Imad Khan, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Wandisile Simelane
