Springbok forwards Deon Fourie and Marvin Orie make their return to the DHL Stormers team for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final against Munster at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
Both players missed the semifinal due to injury, but will take their places in the DHL Stormers starting line-up for the showpiece match, which kicks off at 18h30 on Saturday.
Tickets for this match sold out in a matter of hours last week, so there will be a capacity crowd and heavy traffic congestion in the area. Please plan to get to DHL Stadium at least three hours before kick-off.
Spectators are urged to park remotely and catch a free MyCiTi bus from the UCT, Century City, CTICC or Civic Centre and Thibault Square bus stations
Gates at DHL Stadium open at 15h30 ahead of kick-off at 18h30. The beer garden in the stadium will be open both before and after the game with a DJ playing live and plenty of activations for fans inside the stadium, so get there early to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.
The backline that started in the semifinal win against Connacht is unchanged, with Clayton Blommetjies on the bench in place of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Fourie and Orie come in, which means that hooker Joseph Dweba and lock Ruben van Heerden are the only starting forwards that did not feature in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final at DHL Stadium last season.
DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson said that it is a major boost to have the likes of Fourie and Orie back for the Grand Final.
“Both Deon and Marvin have been outstanding for us this season and they will add a lot both in terms of their ability and leadership on Saturday.
“We have a lot of respect for Munster, the truth is that we have never beaten them, so while we are thrilled to be playing at home we know it will be a big challenge against a good team.
“This will be the biggest crowd for any DHL Stormers match and it should be an amazing occasion for the team, our passionate supporters and the city of Cape Town.
“We are so grateful for the support that we enjoy and what this team means to so many people. We will do our best to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy every moment and play the kind of rugby that got us here,” he said.
DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.
Carrot Joker
Sport Trivia: Alice Annum was the only Ghanian woman to make the final of her event at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Which event was this?Answer: 100m – There were only two female athletes in the Ghanaian team in 1972. They both competed in the 100m sprint, with Alice placing sixth in the final. Her teammate Hannah Afriyie went out in the second round of the heats.
Spellbinder
Still on the subject of cricket superstitions, the player with the most rituals performed during a match is arguably Neil McKenzie of South Africa. Before a game, for example, he would attach his cricket bat to the ceiling with tape. When it’s time for him to bat, he would check all the changing room lights to make sure they were shut off and that the toilet seats were down.