New-look Stormers eye derby points
THE Stormers will have a much-changed look for their United Rugby Championship clash with the Lions in Johannesburg today.
The starting line-up features eight changes to the side that lost to Cardiff in Wales last weekend.
Three of those changes are in the backline and five in the forward pack.
In the backline, Angelo Davids, Sacha Mngomezulu and Paul de Wet will all get proceedings under way, while Dan du Plessis moves out to outside centre for the South African derby, which kicks off at 4pm.
Up front, Evan Roos starts at No 8, with Junior Pokomela and Hacjivah Dayimani completing the loose trio on the flanks.
In the second row, Marvin Orie is joined by captain Ernst van Rhyn, and in the front row, Neethling Fouche and Brok Harris join the run-on side.
The reigning URC champions will look to get back to winning ways after suffering their first defeat in 15 games against Cardiff in their last outing at Cardiff Arms Park last weekend.
Before that, the Cape side drew 16-16 against the Ospreys.
The Stormers will be without five of their Springboks.
The Lions will feel they have a chance of overcoming the Capetonians on home turf. The hosts received an unplanned weekend off after their match with Glasgow Warriors was postponed last weekend. Their last outing was a 37-39 home defeat to Ulster on October 15.
Lions team: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius
Joubert, 11 Quan Horn, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Emmanuel Tshituka, 5 Reinhard Nothnagel (capt), 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 PJ Botha, 1 JP Smith; Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Morgan Naude, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Sibusiso Sangweni, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Gianni Lombard, 23 Zander du Plessis.
Stormers team:
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Sacha Feinberg-mngomezulu, 11 Leolin
Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Brok Harris; Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ben-jason Dixon, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Nama Xaba, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Suleiman Hartzenberg.