Stormers make four changes

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 28: Siya Kolisi of the Stormers scores his and the winning try during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers at Emirates Airline Park on February 28, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 28: Siya Kolisi of the Stormers scores his and the winning try during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers at Emirates Airline Park on February 28, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images)

Published Apr 16, 2015

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Australia – Head coach Allister Coetzee has announced four personnel changes to the DHL Stormers starting XV ahead of their final 2015 Vodacom Super Rugby tour match on Saturday – against the Western Force in Perth (kick-off 13h45 SA time).

Hooker Bongi Mbonambi, lock Ruan Botha, flanker Siya Kolisi and scrumhalf Louis Schreuder will all start this week, with prop Ali Vermaak and loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe the new faces on the bench.

Notshe joins the matchday 23 this week as a replacement for Kolisi, who will start at No.6 – with Schalk Burger moving across to No.7 – in the absence of Mike Rhodes, who flew home with a hamstring tear suffered against the Waratahs last weekend.

The only other injury-enforced change from the Waratahs game – won 32-18 by the DHL Stormers – is Botha in for Manuel Carizza in the No.5 jersey, with the latter still battling with a cut on the inside of his mouth.

Hooker Scarra Ntubeni and scrumhalf Nic Groom will provide an impact from the bench this week as the DHL Stormers chase a second successive win on tour (after their bonus point triumph in Sydney), before they return to South Africa for five home matches – at DHL Newlands – in seven weeks.

The DHL Stormers and the Western Force have met on four previous occasions in Perth, with the Men from the Cape tasting victory three times and losing by one point in 2010. Overall, these two sides have played against each other in eight Super Rugby matches, with the DHL Stormers winning six times and losing twice.

The Stormers team:

15. Cheslin Kolbe

14. Kobus van Wyk

13. Juan de Jongh (captain)

12. Damian de Allende

11. Dillyn Leyds

10. Demetri Catrakilis

9. Louis Schreuder

8. Nizaam Carr

7. Schalk Burger (vice-captain)

6. Siya Kolisi

5. Ruan Botha

4. Eben Etzebeth

3. Frans Malherbe

2. Bongi Mbonambi

1. Steven Kitshoff

Replacements:

16. Scarra Ntubeni

17. Ali Vermaak

18. Vincent Koch

19. Jean Kleyn

20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe

21. Nic Groom

22. Kurt Coleman

23. Huw Jones

Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), Will Houston (Australia)

TMO: Ian Smith (Australia) – ANA

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