DHL Stormers captain Jean de Villiers will make his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby appearance when he leads his team out against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday morning (SA time).
De Villiers will become just the second DHL Stormers Super Rugby centurion, following in the footsteps of lock Andries Bekker who reached that landmark in last year’s tournament.
The 33-year-old star made his debut against the Sharks on February 25, 2005 in the left-wing position and he will line up in his customary centre position this week in what is a deserved 100th Super Rugby game for one of WP Rugby’s most loyal sons.
“Jean epitomises what it means to be a Stormer,” DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee told www.iamastormer.com.
“He is a true warrior and a real WP Rugby man and we’re hoping to make this 100th game special for him, which he deserves.”
Meanwhile, Coetzee has made three enforced changes to the DHL Stormers’ starting line-up for Friday’s clash against the double defending champions on their home patch.
Ruan Botha will start at lock (in place of the injured Michael Rhodes) and his earn his first Super Rugby cap in the process, whilst the experienced duo of Tiaan Liebenberg (hooker) and Brok Harris (tighthead prop) come into the front row as replacements for Scarra Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe, respectively.
Malherbe, despite suffering a toe injury last week, drops down to the bench, whilst loose forward Siya Kolisi is back in the 23 after resting his troublesome AC Joint last weekend and Vodacom Cup hooker Stephan Coetzee comes into a Super Rugby matchday squad for the first time.
Should Malherbe not come through a final fitness test this week, Boland Cavaliers prop Martin Dreyer – who will be flying to New Zealand from Cape Town with hooker Coetzee on Tuesday – will come into the matchday 23.
DHL Stormers team for Friday (vs the Chiefs):
15. Jaco Taute
14. Kobus van Wyk
13. Jean de Villiers (captain)
12. Damian de Allende
11. Gio Aplon
10. Demetri Catrakilis
9. Nic Groom
8. Duane Vermeulen
7. Schalk Burger (vice-captain)
6. Deon Fourie
5. De Kock Steenkamp
4. Ruan Botha
3. Brok Harris
2. Tiaan Liebenberg
1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements:
16. Stephan Coetzee
17. Oliver Kebble
18. Frans Malherbe
19. Siya Kolisi
20. Nizaam Carr
21. Louis Schreuder
22. Peter Grant
23. Sailosi Tagicakibau
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Well done skipper! A class act all round!
Swak, I just posted the team as well.
GBS, please delete mine.
He deserves a mention more than once don’t you think?
I must say that he is playing really good rugby at 13.
Interesting to see that Craig ( His Masters voice*) Joubert will be in charge of the match….
Good to see that Groome will get another chance to start… once Grant takes over at 10 (it is only a matter of time) there is no doubt that Schreuder will have to play to compensate for Grant’s lack of tactical- and general kicking out of the hand abilities. In the meantime the only complete flyhalf in CT (van Aswegen) is playing Vodacom cup rugby at home….
* Apologies to Hondo for stealing his quote.
Why would Craig fly all that way just to shaft us?
Chiefs with injuries to key players, coming off a bye…..you never know, unlikely in Hamilton, but I suppose, not impossible
In an even worse decision by SANZAR, Jaco “dirty Harry” ( this is a whistle, the most powerful whistle in the world. With one blow I can end your season, so do you feel lucky Punk? )Peyper has been given the Brumbies v Tah’s match.
That could have been the best game of the weekend, but not so sure anymore
@ nortierd:
Indeed, and the Stormers have won in Hamilton before..
I have my doubts about Ruaan Botha as a number 4 lock…. i think he is more a “jolly jumper” than an enforcer.. also not sure about Brock the Rock, but I guess AC does not have any other options with all the injuries.
But all is not doom and gloom .. at least the loose trio is very balanced… Schalk really surprised me last weekend with his form…de Allende is playing great rugby at inside centre… Kobus van Wyk is a bit of a revelation so far.. and if Liebenberg can last for at least 70 min…… one never knows.
@Robzim
You mentioned that Gary is playing Vodacom Cup, so I guess the next best 10 we have is Brok.
We know he is a legendary flyhalf in his own mind
nortierd wrote:
The Brokstar is pure genius in every position
@ nortierd:
Good point 🙂
Brock ticks lots of boxes to make the Stormer number 10 jersey his own….. he has good hands and his out of hand kicking might be untested but is most likely at least on par with P Grant’s …. And like Grant he can “bash” it up.. the game plan does not require great passing skills..
robzim wrote:
True that.
@ nortierd:
Lol… Jaco might not have the looks or presence of Clint but his choice of weapon ( the whistle)is no less lethal than the 44 magnum in the sense that it can end dreams and hopes of many in a split second.
@ robzim:
Not at all! 🙂
Just a wonder why it took so long for many rugby knowledgeable guys here to figure that one out out?
It’s a little comfort for the Stormers though, they should be more concerned with two (‘nominal’) loose forwards on the bench and only one specialist lock in their lineup.
@ nortierd:
You go to war with the weapons you got, old cliche
Brock is the only Bona Fide TH the Stormers have in their SR squad, his mobility and scrumming ‘techniques’ will come handy against the marauding Chiefs!
Stormersboy wrote:
Luke Watson has spent more time in the 10 channel than any other player in Stormers history.
@Hondo
I don’t blame Brock for his dreams of being the next Naas, it’s the antiquated and stupid Stormer gameplan of AC that is to blame.
But it must be very frustrating being a Stormer 10 knowing that you don’t just have to contend with the opposition , but also with your own forwards to get good ball and to try and dictate play
Loosehead wrote:
Want sy pa het gese hy mag
Problem with playing Brock at flyhalf is that he doesn’t have Andries Bekker at center to help him out anymore.
MacroBull wrote:
I was about to mention the big fella’s skills at 13….
MacroBull wrote:
Ha ha, ain’t that the truth.
nortierd wrote:
It’s ok though, we now have Schalk to back up into the opposition in the midfield.
I see Paul Jordaan is out for a month with a knee injury
Stormersboy wrote:
Schalk pulled the old double bluff and fooled all the Crusaders when he passed to Jean last week.
Stormersboy wrote:
Saw that too, JP at least back for them.
How’s tick bite boy?
He cost me plenty when he withdrew this weekend, he is my designated kicker in my fantasy team and I believed the Snake oil salesman when he said he will be flyhalf every minute of every game.
Should have listened to BrumbiesBoy and knew not to trust Jake
nortierd wrote:
he did have a huge game though to be fair to him.
nortierd wrote:
and JDJ thinks Schalk was out of his mind to pass when he could have scored himself.
@ nortierd:
Yes not sure, I guess they’ll announce their team in the morning.
Stormersboy wrote:
Thats bad, Paul having a good year, JAke could spring a surprise and play that Fisher oke, and jpp on the wing, odwa to the bench.
MacroBull wrote:
If only we could get Jaco to pass we’d score more tries….
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