Stormers opt for mobility

The Stormers have named a starting pack with the accent on mobility for their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

They have favoured more subtle skills in the assembly of their forwards with Hacjivah Dayimani getting the nod in a starting back row that also includes stealthy Deon Fourie and velvet wrecking ball No 8 Evan Roos.

In a rotational switch, tighthead prop Neethling Fouche gets a start while Frans Malherbe will lend his considerable bulk to the second half effort.

The back row combination is certainly interesting in that the Stormers appear to have designs on outflanking the Bulls.

Dayimani won't be the only silky ball handler in the pack. Scarra Ntubeni's much expected return at hooker will add to their transitional play while bringing valuable experience to his position's fundamentals.

Gelant's belated impact

The Stormers have also opted for the slick handling of Herschel Jantjies at scrumhalf, while utility back Warrick Gelant will start off the bench.

“It is fantastic to have the likes of Scarra and Warrick back from injury for this game,” said coach John Dobson. “Warrick is being managed carefully and will make a big impact from the bench as he did earlier in the season.”

With Gelant on the bench, Damian Willemse gets another start at fullback while the midfield is bulked up by Rikus Pretorius and Ruhan Nel. It is an area the Stormers cannot afford to avoid heavy traffic this weekend.

The Bulls have been on the rampage in recent weeks and much of their stampeding has come through the middle. They are ranked the third best attacking team in the competition, leading with offload and also ranking third in points and tries scored.

However, the Stormers who have scored one try fewer, lead the charts with offloads. They also rank second with the number of clean breaks.

Much anticipated

The eagerly anticipated match which may to a large degree determine who tops the SA conference will pit two evenly matches sides. The Stormers who lead the Bulls by one log point have been unbeaten in their last four matches, while the Bulls' have run unchecked over five.

Dobson suggested his team is like a coiled spring. “Any game between the Stormers and the Bulls is a big occasion and this one has all the makings of a classic.

“Our team cannot wait to run out in front of our fans on Saturday and will be giving absolutely everything to get the result,” he said.

Like the Bulls a week earlier, the Stormers have dropped ticket prices to R25. The price drop saw just under 20,000 fans arrive at Loftus for last week's clash against Ulster and the Cape Town Stadium can expect to attract a URC record attendance this weekend.

Stormers team to play the Bulls — Damian Willemse; Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel, Rikus Pretorius, Leolin Zas; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies; Evan Roos, Hacjivah Dayimani, Deon Fourie; Marvin Orie, Adre Smith; Neethling Fouche, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff (captain).

Substitutes: Chad Solomon, Brok Harris, Frans Malherbe, Connor Evans, Ben-Jason Dixon, Junior Pokomela; Paul de Wet, Warrick Gelant.

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