Springboks fly-half Manie Libbok will make his long-awaited return for the Stormers when John Dobson’s side tackle Cardiff on Friday evening in the United Rugby Championship.
Libbok is one of several changes to the team that defeated the Dragons last weekend as the Stormers aim to secure their fourth straight win in the final round of the regular season.
The Cape Town-based outfit currently sits in fifth place overall with a likely quarter-final clash against the Sharks in Durban awaiting them.
Hartzenerg’s 50th
21-year-old Stormers back Suleiman Hartzenberg will earn his 50th cap for the club as he starts on the right wing. He is joined in the back three back by Springboks star Damian Willemse, who shifts to full-back having started in the centres against the Dragons, while Leolin Zas replaces Seabelo Senatla on the left wing.
Dan du Plessis returns to the starting XV at number 12, filling in for Willemse and starts alongside Wandisile Simelane.
Libbok plays his first game since January as he partners fellow Springbok Herschel Jantjies in the half-backs, with Paul de Wet and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu offering impact from the bench along with Ben Loader.
In a further boost to the side, tighthead prop Neethling Fouché has served his suspension and lines up alongside starting loosehead prop Sti Sithole and hooker Joseph Dweba in the front-row.
Salmaan Moerat captains the side from the second-row and is partnered by JD Schickerling with Dave Ewers and Louw Nel on the flanks and Marcel Theunissen at the back of the scrum.
Experienced hooker Scarra Ntubeni features on a replacements bench that also includes the likes of props Vernon Matongo and Sazi Sandi as well as lock Connor Evans and flank Paul de Villiers.
Stormers team v Cardiff
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Louw Nel, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Paul de Villiers, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ben Loader
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 18.00 IRE & UK / 19.00 ITA / 19.00 SA
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 41st league game)
Assistant referee: AJ Jacobs and Hanru van Rooyen
TMO: Andrea Piardi
Broadcaster: SuperSport, BBC Wales, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
READ MORE: Former Springboks wing Cornal Hendricks dies aged 37
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/springboks-fly-half-manie-libbok-makes-his-long-awaited-return-as-stormers-ring-the-changes-for-cardiff-clash
