Injured Sacha misses Lions game as Fouche reaches his century

Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will sit out the DHL Stormers’ first Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby of the season against the Lions in Cape Town on Saturday.

The flyhalf has been ruled out with a groin injury so Neethling Fouche, who played well for the Stormers in the earlier part of the season, comes back into the No 10 jersey for what will be stalwart tighthead prop Neethling Fouche’s landmark 100th game for the franchise.

Experienced outside centre Ruhan Nel has a calf injury, so Wandisile Simelane comes back into the midfield as Jonathan Roche’s partner in the game against the franchise where he was schooled, played his age-group rugby and first played senior first class rugby for.

With Feinberg-Mngomezulu absent, it means that Cobus Reinach is the only current first choice Bok in the Stormers team, with Damian Willemse also missing because of a hamstring injury.

However, it is an indication of the depth that the Stormers have built up that the absence of the star duo shouldn’t seriously hurt their chances as the make up of the team is similar to the one that has played most of a season which so far has seen eight consecutive wins, five of them overseas, across both the URC and the Investec Champions Cup.

Suleiman Hartzenberg returns from injury to the Stormers bench for this game as a reminder that there are also options at the back. But it is the forwards that have really been the standout this season and with Adre Smith available again after returning from his one week suspension following his red card against Bayonne, coach John Dobson again has a supersonic ‘bomb squad’ style bench doing duty.

JD Schickerling started last week against La Rochelle but returns to the bench for this game to allow a fit again Ruben van Heerden to start. That makes it two locks on the bench, meaning that Dobson effectively has a second tight five ready to come on in the second half, plus the Bok capped blindside flanker Ben-Jason Dixon. Marcel Coetzee starts in the No 7 jersey this week in a back row that also features the man who is the talking point of the new season, Paul de Villiers, plus the always influential Evan Roos at No 8.

Ntuthuko Mchunu has played two good games for the Stormers but as an indicator of the depth he has at prop, Dobson is giving Vernon Matongo, who is also very impressive every time he plays, a chance to start at loosehead prop. Mchunu will bring his X-factor on as a member of the reserve bench.

When he comes onto the field, it will be Mchunu’s first home game at DHL Stadium for the Stormers, as last week’s Champions Cup fixture, where he officially played his first home game, was at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. Starting scrumhalf Reinach will be playing his first game as a Stormer at DHL Stadium too.

DHL Stormers team: Warrick Gelant, Dylan Maart, Wandisile Simelane, Jonathan Roche, Leolin Zas, Jurie Matthee, Cobus Reinach, Evan Roos, Marcel Theunissen, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain), Neethling Fouché, André-Hugo Venter, Vernon Matongo.

Replacements: Lukhanyo Vokozela, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Sazi Sandi, Adré Smith, JD Schickerling, Ben-Jason Dixon, Stefan Ungerer, Suleiman Hartzenberg.