FILE - Stormers' Manie Libbok is back for the United Rugby Championship match against the Glasgow Warriors. FILE - Stormers' Manie Libbok is back for the United Rugby Championship match against the Glasgow Warriors. Picture: Gianluigi Guercia / AFP
The Stormers will boosted by the return of Springboks Manie Libbok and Frans Malherbe for the clash against defending United Rugby Championship side Glasgow Warriors in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
The two Springboks were on an extended break following the Rugby Championship, while Libbok was also given some time off after he got married earlier this month.
This match will be the only one that Malherbe and Libbok will play before jetting off with fellow teammate Damian Willemse and the Springboks to the United Kingdom for their November Tests against Scotland, England and Wales.
With Libbok starting at flyhalf, Willemse will move to inside centre against the Warriors after last weekend’s top display against Munster. They will form a potent play-making axis with fullback Warrick Gelant, in what is expected to be great conditions for running rugby at the Danie Craven Stadium.
Meanwhile, hooker Andre-Hugo Venter will play his 50th match for the Stormers against the Warriors, slotting in the middle of an experienced front row featuring Malherbe and veteran prop Brok Harris.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said that his team is focused on backing up their performance against Munster last week at Cape Town Stadium, where they managed to earn a bonus-point win that lifted them off the bottom of the URC table.
“We saw last week what a difference it makes playing in our conditions in front of our supporters, but we need to back that up on Saturday again,” Dobson said.
“Glasgow are the defending champions, so we will have to raise our game further if we are to get the win we need.
“We are thrilled for Andre-Hugo to reach this milestone at such a young age and we look forward to even bigger things from him in the years to come.
“It is fantastic to have the likes of Frans and Manie back in the mix and we expect them to make a real impact on Saturday,” he said.
Stormers side for Stellenbosch
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ruhan Nel, 13 Dan du Plessis (captain), 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Suleiman Hartzenberg.
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