Two backline changes for Stormers
Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:43
Juan de Jongh and Sireli Naqelevuki are out and Tim Whitehead and Gio Aplon are in.
Those are the two changes to the Stormers team for their clash against the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday - the first enforced through injury and the latter a selection preference.
The 21-year-old Whitehead makes his Super 14 debut at inside centre after playing for the Stormers in two of their warm-up friendlies, against Boland and Stellenbosch, before the start of the competition.
Commenting on the selection, Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee said: "It's time that we back our youngsters. When other unions and franchises do it, it's great [but] when we do it, we're taking a chance!"
He said Whitehead had played consistently well for UCT in the Varsity Cup, for Western Province in the Vodacom Cup, and in two of the Stormers pre-season games.
"He's a class player - what makes him a class player is that he's got a lot of time on the ball; he's got vision."
Coetzee said he was very comfortable with Whitehead's defence as well as his attacking ability. "Tim's got a big heart," said the coach.
De Jongh's troublesome elbow is a short-term injury and he will be fit for the team's Australasian tour.
Aplon returns in place of Naqelevuki, despite the Fijian playing his best ever game for the Stormers in the victory over the Hurricanes last weekend. Coetzee said Aplon had been the number one right wing before his bout of flu and he deserved to regain his place in the starting XV.
Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie,
21 Willem de Waal, 22 Sireli Naqelevuki.
Date: Saturday, March 20
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Vinny Munro (New Zealand), Reuben Rossouw (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
By Len Kaplan
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