Stormers roll out big guns

Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has left nothing to chance for Sunday’s Super 14 warm-up game against Saracens at Newlands by calling out his strongest available unit for the clash with the English club.

Percy Montgomery will get a chance to return to the Stormers No15 jersey in the absence of the injured Springbok fullback Conrad Jantjes and Schalk Burger will be out for another week with a foot complaint, otherwise the team looks a close replica of the one likely to start the Super 14 campaign against the Sharks on Valentine’s Day.

Duane Vermeulen, the star loose-forward newcomer from the Cheetahs, will start in the No7 jersey, with Francois Louw being entrusted with the task of taking over Burger’s openside duties for this match.

“As you know, in our side the No8 is the openside,” joked Erasmus, who has often expressed the opinion that numbers on the back mean little to the loose-forward configuration.

“Francois will have the job of doing most of the work of the openside flanker in this game, but they will help each other out and do a bit of both.”

Vermeulen is normally a No8, so it is interesting to see Luke Watson retained at No8. What will be even more interesting, however, will be to see what Erasmus does with his selection once Burger is fit again.

As anticipated, Erasmus is giving Tongan Alipate Fatafehi, who apparently showed some good touches in an opposed practice session against UCT last weekend, a chance to show what he can do in a match situation.

“He went over on his foot in the session against the Ikeys, so he did not get a big chance to show us what he could do, but he showed enough to suggest we should take another look at him. The Saracens match is a big opportunity for him for if he does well we will keep him on our books for the Super 14 season,” said Erasmus.

If nothing else, the Stormers should not lack for size at wing this season, for the Saracens game will also be used as a chance for Nick Koster, normally a loose-forward, to show his paces on the wing. Sireli Naqelevuki will start in the No11 jersey, but Fatefehi and Koster will be used there later in the game, with Fatefehi also covering fullback.

There was a suggestion that Naqelevuki, like he did last season, would move into the midfield in the second half, but Erasmus confirmed that Dylan des Fountain was the back-up outside centre for this game.

Stormers team: Percy Montgomery, Tonderai Chavhanga, Gcobani Bobo, Jean de Villiers (captain), Sireli Naqelevuki, Peter Grant, Ricky Januarie, Luke Watson, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Andries Bekker, Adriaan Fondse, Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits, JD Moller.

Reserves: Deon Fourie, JC Kritzinger/Schalk Ferreira, Wicus Blaauw, Hilton Lobberts, AJ Venter/George Earle, Pieter Louw, Bolla Conradie, Joe Pietersen, Dylan des Fountain, Alipate Fatafehi, Nick Koster.