Tighthead prop Neethling Fouche replaces the injured Frans Malherbe in an otherwise unchanged DHL Stormers XV for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with the Lions in Cape Town on Saturday.
Fouche starts as the only change to the run-on Stormers lineup for the South African derby at Cape Town Stadium on New Year’s Eve.
Malherbe suffered a pectoral tear in last week’s victory against the Vodacom Bulls in the Mother City and has been ruled out for several weeks.
Hooker Andre-Hugo Venter and props Brok Harris and Sazi Sandi have been included among the replacements for this week’s encounter with the men from Johannesburg.
Stormers coach John Dobson said that it is fantastic to have such continuity in selection for what is a key match.
“We were obviously pleased with the result last week in front of what was an incredible crowd at Cape Town Stadium. We feel that with a bit more time together, these combination can perform even better,” he said.
“We have challenged the players to end the year on a high and reward the fans who come out to watch us on New Year’s Eve.
“These derby games are so important for our standing in the South African Shield, so we want to make another step-up this weekend,” Dobson added.
TEAM: Louw to lead Lions in Stormers duel
1⃣ change to the starting line-up as Neethling Fouche starts at tighthead prop, with a new front row on the bench for our @Vodacom #URC New Year’s Eve game at DHL Stadium.
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/8t14ZoAxbT
🎟️ Tickets https://t.co/sj3lejnvus#iamastormer #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/AnoopxNIWL— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) December 30, 2022
BY THE NUMBERS: Stormers vs Lions
Photo: @THESTORMERS/Twitter
