Vermaak brings up DHL Stormers 50 in Belfast
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Vermaak brings up DHL Stormers 50 in Belfast
| Prop Ali Vermaak will play his 50th match for the DHL Stormers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter in Belfast on Friday night. |
| The two teams will square off at 21h35 SA time on Friday, which will be the DHL Stormers' first-ever appearance at Kingspan Stadium after facing Ulster twice at DHL Stadium last season. |
| There are a number of changes throughout the team, which also sees some experienced players make their return to action. |
| Vermaak is joined in the front row by hooker JJ Kotze and Brok Harris, with Scarra Ntubeni back in the mix from the replacements bench, having recovered from a long-term injury. |
| Marvin Orie will captain the side and resumes his lock partnership with Ben-Jason Dixon. New recruit Ruben van Heerden is in line to make his DHL Stormers debut from the bench. |
| Evan Roos is back in the starting line-up, having featured as a replacement in the Heineken Champions Cup last week. He forms a fearsome loose trio with Willie Engelbrecht and Junior Pokomela on the sides of the scrum. |
| Jean-Luc du Plessis starts at flyhalf for the first time this season and will have Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu next to him in midfield. |
| Clayton Blommetjies is at fullback and is joined at the back by wings Suleiman Hartzenberg and Cornel Smit. |
| Veteran centre Juan de Jongh makes his return on a replacements bench that also features Herschel Jantjies and Kade Wolhuter. |
| DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson said that while there are a number of changes, there is no shortage of quality in the matchday squad. |
| "It is another short turnaround this week, but we are excited to see what these combinations can do. |
| "We have been bolstered by the return of some experienced players and we will need all of it against a good Ulster side," he said. |
| DHL Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11 Cornel Smit, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Marvin Orie (captain), 4 Ben-Jason Dixon, 3 Brok Harris, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Kade Wolhuter, 23 Juan de Jongh. |
