Coetzee not tempted to change

These two sides have enjoyed some great battles

Stormers coach Allister Coetzee named an unchanged starting XV for their first home game of the Super Rugby season.

The Stormers will take on the defending champion Chiefs at Newlands on Saturday.

Coetzee has kept the changes to a minimum - making just two adjustments to the bench.

Fit-again Springbok hooker Tiaan Liebenberg comes in for Martin Bezuidenhout on the bench, whilst Dewaldt Duvenage replaces Louis Schreuder as the back-up to starting No.9 Nic Groom.

Groom will, again, combine with Elton Jantjies at halfback, with Damian de Allende and captain Jean de Villiers starting at centre for the third match in succession - giving the team much-needed continuity in crucial backline positions.

"We've gone with an unchanged team because it is important to keep backing the players," Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said on Wednesday.

"I don'' see any reason to change the situation and this weekend hopefully they will continue to show improvement."

The Stormers have not played against the Chiefs at Newlands since 2009, but these two sides have enjoyed some great battles over the years in Super Rugby, with the Stormers leading the head-to-head tally by eight wins to the Chiefs' six victories.

Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 De Kock Steenkamp, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Don Armand, 19 Nizaam Carr, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Peter Grant, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.

Date: Saturday, March 9
Venue: Newland, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Ben Crouse (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)