It could be a blessing in disguise that the Stormers will face an understrength Sale Sharks side in Cape Town on Saturday evening, but despite several South Africans and other internationals not featuring for the Premiership side, the home team will still be wary of their threat.
John Dobson muscled up his side for this vital clash as all his available stars will take to the field in the Champions Cup clash in the DHL Stadium (kick-off 7:30 pm) to try and secure some important log points.
World Cup-winning Springbok Manie Libbok will start as flyhalf opposite former Stormers and Bok flyhalf Rob du Preez, but there is no sign of ex-Cape-based utility loose forwards Ernst van Rhyn, and Cobus Wiese, while Du Preez’s twin-brothers Jeanluc and Dan – both Boks – are missing too.
Even English loose forward Tom Curry has not been included in the Sale team for the match that could be a do-or-die for both sides.
Curry is probably one of the English players fans in South Africa have been waiting for after he accused Bok hooker Bongi Mbonambi of racism during the World Cup last year.
He would definitely have received a loud welcome to the Cape Town (kant) side of South Africa, with some unfriendly choice words emanating from the stands.
But the Stormers will not be caught out by the understrength visitors. Last year, they sent a second-string team to face Leicester Tigers, and they nearly pulled off a miracle win in England. So they know all too well what surprises a team without their stars can conjure up.
“We need to win this game to be sure that we are staying alive in this competition,” Dobson said at his team announcement.
“We might be able to lose it and still win in Paris (next weekend), but we also want to play for a home last16 game. So we will take a win in any format it comes. They sent an understrength team to Leinster a couple of weeks ago and really hung around. I’m not trying to talk it up.
“There’s lots of fight and pride in this Sale team, but it’s a relief for me that some of those big South African carriers are not playing. I could have given you a sanitised answer, but it’s true. The way the Du Preez twins and Ernst have been going this season, it is a relief.”
There was a big temptation to combine Damian Willemse and Dan du Plessis in the midfield. Still, Dobson opted to keep Du Plessis in the 12 jersey with youngster Suleiman Hartzenberg as his midfield partner. Willemse will man fullback, keeping Warrick Gelant on a six-two replacement bench split in favour of the forwards.
Winger Courtnall Skosan and Herschel Jantjies are the only changes to the starting backline that beat the Sharks at the end of last year. The sole change up front sees hooker Andrehugo Venter receive a well-deserved start as Springbok Joseph Dweba returns to action off the bench.
The Stormers expect Sale to try and overpower them with the forwards, but they are also wary of the visitors using the Cape Town summer conditions to run the ball at them.
Stormers team:
Damian Willemse; Courtnall Skosan, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies; Hacjivah Dayimani, Benjason Dixon, Deon Fourie (captain); Ruben van Heerden, Adre Smith; Neethling Fouche, Andre-hugo Venter, Sti Sithole.
Bench: Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak, Brok Harris, Connor Evans, Marcel Theunissen, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Warrick Gelant.
IOL Sport