“It is the first local derby for us when we face the Stormers on Saturday,” said head coach of the Emirates Lions, Swys de Bruin. “We do expect a tough match as they have lots of Springboks in the team and it is always difficult to play at Newlands in front of their home crowd.”
The big derby in Cape Town between the DHL Stormers and the Emirates Lions top the bill for this weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby Round 2 action in South Africa, with kick-off set for 5.15pm on February 23. The only other local match sees the Cell C Sharks host the Blues from 15.05pm in Durban, while the Vodacom Bulls will be in Buenos Aires for a late-evening clash with the Jaguares (11.40pm).
In the feature SA match on Saturday, the DHL Stormers host the Emirates Lions in what is expected to be another top-notch local derby. The Cape side will be eager to bounce back after their hurting defeat to the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria, while the Highvelders travel down south on the back of a first-ever away win over the tough Jaguares.
Springbok tour squad member Sergeal Petersen will make his DHL Stormers debut on Saturday. He starts on the right wing in one of four changes to the home side. The other changes to the backline see Jean-Luc du Plessis start at fly half, with Damian Willemse shifting to full back in place of the injured Dillyn Leyds, while Joshua Stander comes onto the bench.
The only change to the forward pack is in the second row, with Chris van Zyl at lock in place of the injured Salmaan Moerat. Fit-again Springboks Frans Malherbe and Eben Etzebeth are among the replacements, along with flank Jaco Coetzee, who is also set to get his first run of the campaign.
Emirates Lions coach Swys de Bruin made three changes to his starting XV which beat the Jaguares 25-16 in Buenos Aires. In a rotational switch in the backline, one Springbok replaces another as Ruan Combrinck comes in for Aphiwe Dyantyi at left wing, with the latter on the bench.
Former Blitzbok star Kwagga Smith is back among the forwards, replacing Hacjivah Dayimani in the No 7 jersey, while Stephan Lewies and comes in for Rhyno Herbst at lock. Sti Sithole, Gianni Lombard and Sylvian Mahuza are the newcomers on the bench.
The Emirates Lions are on an excellent winning streak against their SA opposition and they are undefeated in 22 of their last 23 matches against local opposition, so they will be fairly confident of continuing with that impressive trend.
Aimee Barret-Theron will become the first South African woman assistant referee in a Vodacom Super Rugby fixture when she takes the touchline flag on Saturday in Cape Town.
The last match of the weekend will be played in Buenos Aires, between the Jaguares and the Vodacom Bulls where a very physical battle is expected and Cornal Hendricks will be making an emotional return to Vodacom Super Rugby action as a replacement for Johnny Kotze (meningitis).
Hendriks, the former Springbok wing, will play his first Vodacom Super Rugby match since 2015 when he was forced out of action due to illness. Saturday’s battle in Buenos Aires will see him complete his comeback to top-flight action.
The Pretoria side got their swagger back following their sublime win over the DHL Stormers at Loftus and the late evening tie in South America has all the makings of a fascinating clash.
Each of the previous four meetings in this fixture has been won by the home team, with each side having won twice. The Argentine franchise wants to avoid back-to-back losses on home soil for the first time since March 2018 after their defeat to the Emirates Lions last week
The Cell C Sharks host the Blues in their first home match of the season and Robert du Preez’s men are in confident mood following their excellent away triumph over the Sunwolves in Singapore last weekend.
Their starting line-up remains unchanged from last week’s splendid win, while Springboks Thomas du Toit and Curwin Bosch are both included on the bench.
The coastal outfit have won eleven of their last twelve matches against the Blues, going back more than a decade, and finished on the winning side in each of their previous five home fixtures against all opposition, while the Blues have fallen to defeats in their last three games.
Meanwhile, the Blues welcome three All Blacks into their starting line-up as props Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Karl Tu’inukuafe join centre Sonny Bill Williams in the run-on side. Melani Nanai, starting at full back, and No 8 Akira Ioane will both be making their 50th appearances for the Blues.
Other Round two fixtures (SA kick-off-times):
February 22
8.35am: Highlanders v Reds, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin.
February 23
6.15am: Sunwolves v Waratahs, Prince Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo.
8.35am: Crusaders v Hurricanes, Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch.
10.45am: Brumbies v Chiefs, GIO Stadium, Canberra.
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
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