John Dobson has reinforced the Stormers starting XV for the Vodacom URC quarter-final against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.
The Stormers have unfinished business against Glasgow after going down to the defending champions in Stellenbosch in October – their third straight defeat against the Scottish outfit after the Capetonians last managed to win this encounter in 2022.
Warrick Gelant links up with Seabelo Senatla and Ben Loader in a potent back three, while Suleiman Hartzenberg forms a new-look midfield with Dan du Plessis in the absence of Damian Willemse, who is suspended following a red card against Cardiff at Cape Town Stadium two weeks ago.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Stefan Ungerer continue as the halfback partnership with Springbok world champions Herschel Jantjies and Manie Libbok set to make an impact off the bench.
In the pack, the powerful Evan Roos returns at No 8 as part of a dynamic back row with Marcel Theunissen and Paul de Villiers.
Skipper Salmaan Moerat partners Ruben van Heerden in the second row, and props Ali Vermaak and Neethling Fouche start either side of hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, with Vernon Matongo, Joseph Dweba, Sazi Sandi, JD Schickerling, Connor Evans and Louw Nel providing forward cover.
Dobson’s men arrived in Scotland on the back of four straight bonus-point URC home wins, while Glasgow have lost their last three matches, although Franco Smith’s charges are 7-2 at Scotstoun this season.
Glasgow have only won one more URC match than the Stormers in 2024-25, with the Cape tourists boasting a better attacking record (39 more points scored than their hosts in their 18 league matches).
However, the Warriors have the second-best defensive record in the competition, with 17 fewer tries conceded.
“The buildup to this game has gone well and we know that it will take a huge effort to beat a good Glasgow team on their home track,” Dobson told the Stormers’ official website.
“We have built up some good momentum recently and want to take that into this game. This was a very tough team to pick with some deserving players missing out, but we are excited to see what these combinations can do.”
STORMERS – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Bench: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Connor Evans, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Manie Libbok.
