Stormers coach John Dobson has rung the changes as his team heads to Durban to play the Sharks in Durban in the top-of-the-table Super Rugby clash on Saturday.
Frans Malherbe and Salmaan Moerat return to the starting line-up in the tight five, while Dobson has selected two new flanks in Ernst van Rhyn and Johan Du Toit, who replaces his injured brother Pieter-Steph.
Dobson has also switched things around at the back, with Jean Luc Du Plessis coming in at flyhalf, with Damian Willemse switching to fullback, and Damian Leyds going in on the wing.
Sergeal Petersen drops to the bench.
Dobson says that the backline switch was for a few reasons, but mainly to counter the Sharks’ kicking game.
With Pieter-Steph Du Toit injured, Dobson says he chose to go with new flankers after the disappointing performance in that area in their loss against the Blues.
While Dobson says Jaco Coetzee’s stealing ability at the breakdown could be missed, he feels Van Rhyn can do the job, and he and Johan Du Toit are both also line out options, which is not Coetzee or 8th man Juandro Augustus’ strength. – Report by Rob Delport
