Allister Coetzee has announced his team to face the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday.
There are quite a few changes from the side that lost to the Western Force in Perth last Friday. JD Moller comes into the side to replace the injured JC Kritzinger who picked up a hamstring injury in the last match.
Adriaan Fondse will get his first start of the season at lock after playing a few Vodacom Cup games recently. Dewald Duvenage replaces the erratic Ricky Januarie which is good news for the Stormers backline as he possesses a very good pass.
Juan De Jongh has also recovered from injury and will take his place alongside the Worlds Greatest 13.
Here is the team to take on the Blues:
Stormers: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Sireli Naqelevuki, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 François Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller.
Bench: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Eusebio Guinazu, 18 Anton van Zyl, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Willem de Waal, 22 Tim Whitehead.
My prediction: The Stormers will WIN this one!!
@wpw (Comment 1) : jeez….for once we agree.
@wpw (Comment 1) : sorry, but I’m going Blues on SuperBru. Nothing personal
@wpw (Comment 1) : Can i comment
“Juan De Jongh has also recovered from injury and will take his place alongside the Worlds Greatest 13 “….. Ja Wez
Would have played Ricky, Blues forwards going to murder Dewald
@robdylan (Comment 3) : I’m considering the Blues om LMS this weekend as well.
NAKALIVUKI !!!
I see sanity has prevailed and 3 step Ricky has been dropped.
@Pokkel (Comment 7) : I went with the Reds
@robdylan (Comment 10) : I already used the Reds. Left with Blues, Bulls, Sharks, Lions, Western Force and Cheetah’s. Getting a lot harder now
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 4) :
You may but don’t be disappointed if I don’t agree.
@Pokkel (Comment 11) : I kept the Bulls for hard times and they now decide to start playing kak….I suppose the lesson from this is use the teams while playing at home.
Now Stormers could win this one with Dewaldt at scrummie. Also De Jongh will make a difference.
Good luck Stormers. Going to be tough but they could win it.
@Charlie (Comment 5) : is BOD playing?
@willa (Comment 15) :
@willa (Comment 15) : Was jy by die game Saterdag?
@willa (Comment 15) :
Sacrilege I tell ya!!
@willa (Comment 15) : Het jy weer jou hare en baard laat groei vir die S14??
jeez – what happened to Joe Pietersen?
I am so not a fan of Aplon in fact every time he does play well (which I must concede is quite often) I am sooo surprised.
@wpw (Comment 12) : You know what i think will be the outcome here….so i’m not even going to bang on about it.
I was just going to say that i’m looking forward to next weekend. When TWG13 comes up against Richard Kahui…who must be closing in on BOD’s crown !
……is it just me or do the Stormers backs look a bit light weight in the 9,10, 12 Channel
@Pokkel (Comment 11) : of that lot, you have to go Blues and hope for the best.
Can’t believe the F*KING Stormers cost me my lifeline last week.
@robdylan (Comment 23) : I think that would be my best bet too.
@Pokkel (Comment 17) : nee eks al vir 2 weke in die hospitaal, wou gaan maar sal maar blues of stormers doen@Pokkel (Comment 19) : glo dit of nie, ek het die week voor die highlanders op gehou and going
@robdylan (Comment 23) : I just hope you haven’t jinx my selection this week
@robdylan (Comment 23) : I remember a while ago how you said you love the Western Force for LMS…that backfired a bit
@Pokkel (Comment 24) : LMS Winners this weekend
Blues
Highlanders
Chiefs
Reds
Brumbies
Crusaders
hardly rocket science …..is it
Do you want next weeks winners as well
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 28) : Off that lot I only have the Blues available….so sorry Stormers…you lose…
@Pokkel (Comment 29) : …no brainer !
How about a draw?
Just realised that I’ve missed a lot of the Stormers matches this season – I won’t miss this one though…
I’m going for Blues on SB – just because I can…
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 22) : I think its just you, duwenage is pretty good on defence, grant is probably the best tackling flyhalf in sa(another natal boy in the butch james,honiball mould) and if u don’t know much about dejong the one thing I can tell u is the boy is a seriously aggressive defender
@zenrugby (Comment 32) : I agree…de Jongh might not be the biggest but he’s not scared to tackle and neither is Grant.
@blackshark (Comment 31) : I won’t survive another draw. I picked the Saders last weekend on LMS and I was as close as it gets to losing my lifeline.
@zenrugby (Comment 32) : I here that about dejong…..but i wasn’t so much thinking about their defensive qualities i was more talking about there ability to soak up the big islander hits !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 28) : Not so clear cut regarding the Bulls vs Chiefs game and Higlanders vs Force.
@Farlington (Comment 36) : yip, especially that Muils is out.
@Farlington (Comment 36) : Agreed Highlanders have to deal with Cameron Shephard back now as well i see !
Highlanders by 1 point
Chiefs will win by more….looked good last weekend they could still make the semis…they have great firepower all over the park.
@rekinek (Comment 37) : The replacement is better !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 35) : I hear what u saying but grant is actually quite a big chap and dejong has some serious mongrel. He is one of those freakishly strong little guys. I was suspect when he first came on the scene as he replaced another young “star” morgan newman who I don’t rate but he realy has impressed me. Sometimes doesn’t pass enough but loves running at defenders
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 35) :I’m looking forward to seeing ranger(who has been brilliant) up against fourie that should be an awesome contest
@zenrugby (Comment 40) : Well he is going to be welcomed by two very hard lads in Benson Stanley and Rene Ranger both keeping Luke McAlistair out….but he should see him before the afternoon is out as well….they all hit really hard.
Watching them makes you pleased your just watching !
@zenrugby (Comment 41) : Not as good as it will be next week against Kahui !
Stormers will struggle . . .
@Original Pierre (Comment 44) : ….for a while yet !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 39) :
is this possible??
seriously I didn’t watch rugby for last 3 weeks (except hour highlights of sharks game) so I cannot insigthfully comment.
I think about shouting for Bulls, one because they are a saffa team, second because I gather it may be better for the sharks to have one or even two teams in clear lead and the rest scrapping for 3 and 4 place instead of this possible 3 or 4 place teams gathering points at the expense of 1 and 2 (whom the Sharks are not going to catch anyway).
@Original Pierre (Comment 44) : …must remember they have played the mighty Highlanders Lions Force and Cheetahs, to be in their current position.
However a wins a win !
@Original Pierre (Comment 44) : are you looking in your Crystal ball
@rekinek (Comment 46) : Yeah …he’s good Tim Nanai Williams…. a sevens player a bit like Aplon.
Good logic …you want the Saders and Bulls to crush everyone.
You definitely don’t want the Chiefs winning…..but they will !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 49) : for your sake I hope he’s a bit bigger than Aplon.
BTW I’m still waiting for some merciful blogger to tell me what happened to Pieterse.
@rekinek (Comment 50) : Crocked…..not on tour…..keeping his powder dry for the home matches !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 51) : thanx. any more details perhaps I can squeeze out of you ?
@rekinek (Comment 52) : He pulled a bum muscle last I heard…
@Pokkel (Comment 53) : oooops
@rekinek (Comment 52) : he’s not out for longn could be back for last game or two of tour.
@zenrugby (Comment 55) : He won’t front up on tour !
@rekinek (Comment 50) : Joe Pietersen is out injured – I think out for the tour…
@robdylan (Comment 3) : i’ve got blues by 10
so we hope we are right sorry stormers 
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 28) : well thats what i did on SB
choose all the non SA teams 
@Original Pierre (Comment 44) : i ws thinking the same thing no ways the stormers can win the blues i guess
The Stormers will prove all you infadels wrong!!!
@wpw (Comment 61) : Keep the faith
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 47) : And the Canes. You can only play what’s in front of you.
I believe everybody plays everybody.
@wpw (Comment 61) : Tried to tell them that yesterday. Do you think they listen?
@McLovin (Comment 63) : Very true…… Big three weeks for the mighty Stormers, by my calculations need to win at least one to be in with a chance of the semis.
c’mon stormers….prove me wrong !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 65) :yes I have to give it to you,you have stuck your neck out a little for this game. If I remember correctly kinda like before the sharks/highlanders game he he. Atleast you were gracious in defeat.
@zenrugby (Comment 66) : I wish i hadn’t now…..i don’t even care who wins….. it’s a nothing match to me.
But for me you have to be a bit naive to think you waltz into Eden Park and hammer the Blues….. to be honest i have been in the past.
But this Blues outfit look desperate to me. They basically have to win just about everything from here to make the semis.
…..and there is no way on earth they are will get rolled on Saturday by this Burger bunch !