Schalk Burger has returned to the Stormers' starting line-up for their Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has kept Deon Fourie at openside flank, with Siya Kolisi falling out of the match 23 altogether. According to the Stormers' press release, Kolisi has been given this week off and will come back into the selection frame next weekend.
'We’re fortunate to be able to rest Siya, where we have more depth, so hopefully this week off will see his AC joint in a better condition next week,' said coach Allister Coetzee.
In other changes, De Kock Steenkamp comes in at No 5 lock for Rynhardt Elstadt, who has been ruled out of the tour with a shoulder injury and will be out of action for four to six weeks.
'Rynhardt will see his specialist when he returns home to Cape Town,' said Coetzee. 'It’s the same shoulder he had an operation on after last year, and the specialist here said it’s quite badly inflamed. He will be out of action for four to six weeks and, for that reason, we have called up Jurie van Vuuren, who was part of the WP U21 squad last year and can, like Rynhardt, play at No 7 flank and No 4 lock.'
At scrumhalf, in an unforced change, Nic Groom will earn his first start of 2014, while the loss of Elstadt and Manuel Carizza – the latter with a wrist injury from the Canes match – sees former WP U21 lock Ruan Botha earn a place on the bench on debut. Michael Rhodes, after two appearances from the bench this season, will start in place of Elstadt in the No 4 jersey.
Louis Schreuder will join Botha on the bench, along with flyhalf Peter Grant, who joined the team from Japan this week, and new wing signing Sailosi Tagicakibau, who joined the Stormers from London Irish just a few days ago.
Stormers – 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Ruan Botha, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Peter Grant, 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau.
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Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
