Stormers without 11 regulars for URC match against Scarlets

The Stormers will be without 11 regulars when they resume their United Rugby Championship challenge on Friday when they host Scarlets at the Cape Town Stadium.

Springbok players Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok, Evan Roos, Marvin Orie, Salmaan Moerat, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Deon Fourie and SA A players Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg and Andre-Hugo Venter are all unavailable this weekend because of national commitments or injury.

Recent SA A tourists, Leolin Zas, Herschel Jantjies, Sazi Sandi, JJ Kotze and Joseph Dweba though will feature against the Welsh side.

Also in the mix is lock Gary Porter, who’ll be on debut.

The match on Friday night kicks off at 7pm.

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Also making their first starts of the season are centre Cornel Smit, flyhalf Kade Wolhuter and flank Marcel Theunissen, while Leon Lyons, Connor Evans and Jean-Luc du Plessis all come onto the replacements bench.

Ernst van Rhyn will lead the side alongside Porter in the second row.

“Opportunity’

Coach John Dobson said there are quite a few players motivated to make their mark on Friday night.

“The players getting an opportunity this week have all been training incredibly hard all season and are determined to make the most of this game,” said Dobson about the new-look side.

“We are pleased with the depth we have built already this season and this is also a side that features plenty of experience in key positions, so we are excited to see how they go.”

Stormers: Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids, Cornel Smit, Dan du Plessis, Leolin Zas, Kade Wolhuter, Paul de Wet, Hacjivah Dayimani, Marcel Theunissen, Junior Pokomela, Gary Porter, Ernst van Rhyn (capt), Neethling Fouche, Joseph Dweba, Ali Vermaak. Bench: JJ Kotze, Leon Lyons, Sazi Sandi, Connor Evans, Ben-Jason Dixon, Nama Xaba, Herschel Jantjies, Jean-Luc du Plessis.