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Evan Roos will make his first start of the season at No. 8 for the DHL Stormers in their fourth round Investec Champions Cup pool match against Racing 92 in Paris tomorrow.
Roos, who made his first return to the playing field off the bench in last week’s home game against Sale Sharks, has not started for the Stormers since undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury in the middle of last year.
He is joined in the pack for the game against Racing by fellow Springbok Joseph Dweba, who has recovered from the hamstring strain that kept him from playing the last two matches.
From the evidence of the team he has selected, Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has stuck with the line he spoke about after the 40-0 win over Sale Sharks last Saturday, meaning that, while he wants to win he is also using the final Champions Cup group game as a chance to give game time to players returning from injury or who haven’t played much recently.
That means Clayton Blommetjies comes in at fullback for last week’s man of the match Warrick Gelant, while the new centre combination that played in that game, Jonathan Roche and Wandisile Simelane, will get another chance to pick up invaluable experience at Champions Cup level.
Joining them in adding more experience to his CV is the promising flyhalf Jurie Matthee, who comes in for Bok flyhalf Manie Libbok, who is rested this week ahead of the following week’s important Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with Leinster in Dublin.
Veteran scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage comes in for Stefan Ungerer, who impressed against Sale, and no doubt the experience he brings after his many years playing for Benetton and before that the Stormers in Super Rugby influenced the selection, plus the need for him to pick up some game time in case he is needed later in the season.
Roos comes in for Marcel Theunissen at No. 8, but instead of dropping out of the starting team Theunissen is just moving position to blindside flank, with Willie Engelbrecht slotting in for Deon Fourie, also rested, on the openside flank.
After a lengthy unbroken shift at No 5 lock JD Schickerling plays off the bench this week to allow Ruben van Heerden a chance to start, while Salmaan Moerat continues as the other lock and as the captain.
Frans Malherbe is another Bok who started last week who won’t be starting in Paris. Instead Neethling Fouche will pull the No 3 jersey back on, with Malherbe providing cover from the bench. Dweba comes in for JJ Kotze, who drops out of the match day squad as Andre-Hugo Venter continues as the reserve hooker.
Sti Sithole continues at loosehead as he builds up his match fitness after a lengthy layoff before he made his return to the starting team against Sale, with Ali Vermaak, who has impressed when he has played this season, again covering the position from the bench. Herschel Jantjies returns to the match day squad as the scrumhalf replacement. – SuperSport.
Online Reporter