Stormers lock JD Schickerling will captain the side against the Lions on Saturday, with flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu freed up from the leadership duties to focus on his attacking play at Ellis Park.
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Lock JD Schickerling will lead the Stormers against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday (2.30pm kick-off), with director of rugby John Dobson opting to hand the lock the captaincy as the Cape side returns to United Rugby Championship (URC) action.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at flyhalf but is relieved of the leadership duties, allowing him to focus on steering the Stormers’ game from No 10 in Johannesburg.
Hooker JJ Kotzé will play his 50th match in the URC Origin Round, but there is still no sign of midfielder Ruhan Nel, while Springbok star Damian Willemse also does not feature in the match-day squad.
The choice of Schickerling as captain is an interesting one by Dobson and his coaches, but removing the extra responsibility from Feinberg-Mngomezulu could allow him to concentrate fully on his primary task – driving the Stormers’ gameplan.
“That was one of the reasons,” assistant coach Rito Hlungwani said about the change in captaincy.
“However, as I previously said, we have a very strong leadership group. Now and then, we will have a different captain. But it does take away a bit of pressure from Sacha. We really believe the weight of leading the team is not solely on the captain. There are good leaders in the side.”
Schickerling’s experience likely counted in his favour when the decision on the armband was made.
In the absence of the resting Willemse, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and returning fullback Warrick Gelant will look to spark the visitors’ attack. The midfield pairing of Jonathan Roche and Wandisile Simelane will also have an important role to play.
Everything, though, will start upfront for the Capetonians. Kotzé and his props, Ntuthuko Mchunu and tighthead Sazi Sandi, must anchor the scrums. The hooker and his captain will also need to command the lineouts to avoid a repeat of the struggles endured against the Sharks in the back-to-back coastal derbies.
The loose trio of No 8 Evan Roos and flankers Paul de Villiers and Ben-Jason Dixon will start their sixth match together as the Stormers build consistency in the back row. Their work at the breakdown, along with their ball-carrying ability, will be critical in the push for victory.
Scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer partners with Feinberg-Mngomezulu, with Imad Khan and Jurie Matthee providing backline cover off the bench.
According to Hlungwani, they are wary of the Lions’ depth even if they are missing key forwards. Springboks Ruan Venter (concussion) and tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye (family responsibilities) will miss the clash.
“It is always tough playing against the Lions with their decent depth. Those players stepping in like a (Batho) Hlekani and the tighthead replacing Asenathi in the lineup will be decent.
“They have a good scrum and lineout coach. They will be well-oiled and ready to fight.”
Schickerling said he speaks when it is necessary to speak, but naturally, he wants to lead with how he plays.
He had a conversation with Dobson on that, and while he will do the talking with the referees, the focus will be on his contribution as a player. Schickerling warned that the Lions’ attack is something they must watch out for.
“It is always a challenging game playing against the Lions; they play really good rugby. You can’t go to sleep against them. However, we will focus on our plan and how to execute that.”
Stormers team (high school attended in brackets):
15 Warrick Gelant (Outeniqua), 14 Dylan Maart (Klein Nederburg), 13 Wandisile Simelane (Jeppe), 12 Jonathan Roche (Bishops), 11 Leolin Zas (Hermanus), 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Bishops), 9 Stefan Ungerer (Maritzburg College), 8 Evan Roos (Paarl Boys), 7 Ben-Jason Dixon (Paul Roos), 6 Paul de Villiers (Oakdale), 5 JD Schickerling (Paarl Gim – captain), 4 Adré Smith (Oakdale), 3 Sazi Sandi (St Andrews), 2 JJ Kotzé (Paul Roos), 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu (Maritzburg College).
Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter (Grey College), 17 Vernon Matongo (Northwood), 18 Zachary Porthen (Wynberg), 19 Connor Evans (Bishops), 20 Marcel Theunissen (Grey College), 21 Hacjivah Dayimani (Jeppe), 22 Imad Khan (Bishops), 23 Jurie Matthee (Paarl Gim).