Overview
- John Dobson’s Stormers named a starting XV with nine Springboks to face La Rochelle in Gqeberha, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf, Cobus Reinach at scrumhalf and Warrick Gelant back from illness.
- Damian Willemse is out with a hamstring niggle and Dan du Plessis faces a six-to-eight week layoff with an MCL injury, prompting a midfield reshuffle that starts Jonathan Roche alongside Ruhan Nel.
- The Sharks host Saracens with JP Pietersen stepping in as interim head coach and senior Springboks André Esterhuizen, Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi, Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams and Ethan Hooker returning after the 56-19 loss to Toulouse.
- André Esterhuizen is set for his 100th franchise cap and, despite being used by Rassie Erasmus as a hybrid back-row cover at Test level, he reaffirmed that he remains a specialist centre at club level.
- Stormers prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, fresh off a strong debut at Bayonne, targets a set-piece battle against La Rochelle’s heavyweight tightheads, while the Bulls named a touring squad with nine Boks for Northampton as some big names observe rest periods.