Pieter-Steph du Toit to lead Stormers against Sharks
Pieter-Steph du Toit will captain the Stormers when they take on the Sharks in a highly-anticipated Super Rugby derby at Newlands on Saturday.
The side features five changes for the Super Rugby coastal derby. The Stormers will be led by Du Toit in the absence of captain Siya Kolisi, who has been ruled out through illness, with his place on the side of the scrum taken by Kobus van Dyk.
The only other changes to the forward pack will see props JC Janse van Rensburg and Frans Malherbe come into the starting line-up on either side of hooker Bongi Mbonambi, with JD Schickerling and Juarno Augustus among the replacements.
In the backline EW Viljoen starts at outside centre, with JJ Engelbrecht shifting to the wing and Craig Barry on the replacements bench alongside Josh Stander and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, who will make his Super Rugby debut if he comes on.
Dillyn Leyds will play his 50th match for the Stormers when he lines up at full-back against the Sharks at Newlands on Saturday.
Stormers head coach Robbie Fleck insists that his team will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note.
“This weekend gives us another chance to play in front of our fans at DHL Newlands, so we are determined to put together a good performance,” Fleck said.
“South African derbies are always tough and this should be a great game to watch, we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Stormers: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 Jan de Klerk, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Josh Stander, 23 Craig Barry
Date: Saturday, July 7
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17:15 local (16:15 BST, 15:15 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Archie Sehlako
TMO: Marius Jonker