Stats show Stormers, Highlanders well matched

IN 17 meetings between the Stormers and the Highlanders, each team has won eight and there has been a draw, which suggests there is nothing in it when they clash in Dunedin tomorrow.

But there have been two distinct periods of dominance in this contest since they first met back in 1998.

There was the age of the Highlanders, who won eight of the first 11 contests between 1998 and 2007, with on- ly two defeats and a draw.

And then it all started to go wrong for the New Zealand team as the Stormers emerged as one of South Africa’s powerhouses. The last six meetings since 2008 have all been won by the Stormers.

The Cape side won the only previous contest, in 2012, between the teams at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, where tomorrow’s contest will take place.

There is a never an easy time to travel to New Zealand’s South Island but as a first tour stop coming from Cape Town it could not be tougher. The Stormers have been preparing in Queenstown and will only venture to Dunedin today.

They will also go into the contest without talismanic leader Duane Vermeulen at No 8. He is rested as part of an agreement with the South African Rugby Union, with centre Juan de Jongh taking over the captaincy.

Without Vermeulen’s presence up front, it is timely that flank Schalk Burger will make his first start of the campaign after two appearances off the bench.

That means Nizaam Carr moves to eighthman with Siya Kolisi shifting into the openside flank role.

Coach Allister Coetzee has also rejigged the halfbacks with Nic Groom and Demetri Catrakilis returning after Louis Schreuder and Kurt Coleman started against the Chiefs two weeks ago.

Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth is also back in the mix among the reserves after be- ing sidelined by injury for all but 44 minutes of the current campaign. He will take his place on the wood alongside the fit-again flank Michael Rhodes and hooker Bongi Mbonambi, both of whom missed the last two matches.

The Stormers top the South Africa conference standings with 16 points after five matches. The Highlanders occupy the final playoff position in sixth position with 15 points from their five outings.

Losing at home would be a massive setback for the High- landers, especially after losing to the Hurricanes last week.

With that desperation in mind, the Stormers can expect a backlash from the home team and stretching their winning sequence to seven matches and eight years will take some doing.

“We would love to start the tour on a good note as we did in 2012 [against Highlanders], as it gave us momentum and the necessary belief to get more results away from home,” Coetzee said.

ý Another feather in cap for Burger – Page 18