The DHL Stormers will be looking to make it eight consecutive home wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when they host Leinster in Cape Town on Saturday evening (5.15pm, Irish time) in an intriguing clash that pits first against second in the table.
The Irish province has a nine-point advantage with two rounds of matches left but the Stormers are aware that if they can maintain that impressive sequence at the DHL Stadium then they can take a significant step towards a home quarter-final; their final match of the league stage is a trip to Parc y Scarlets on May 21st.
Zebre (55-7), Cardiff (40-3), the Sharks (20-10), the Bulls (19-17), Ulster (23-20), the Ospreys (29-13) and Glasgow Warriors (32-7) have all been vanquished in Cape Town, albeit acknowledging that Ulster would have broken that sequence were it not for an incorrectly disallowed try by Callum Reid that denied Dan McFarland's side a legitimate win.
Stormers' coach John Dobson has made three changes to the side that beat Glasgow for this weekend's game, Warrick Gelant starts at fullback, Damian Willemse moves to inside centre in place of Rikus Pretorius who is ruled out due to concussion.
Deon Fourie – he leads the tournament in turnovers (20) – returns at blindside flanker while the final alteration to the starting line-up sees JJ Kotze come in at hooker in place of the injured Scarra Ntubeni.
Wilmar Arnoldi is set to make his club debut from the replacements, a bench that includes one or two familiar faces in prop Brok Harris, a long-time Dragons' player and Juan de Jongh, a Springbok who played with Wasps.
As is the case with most South African sides they have pace to burn on the wings and the Stormers are no different with Sevens’ star, Seabelo Senatla on the right and the URC’s leading try scorer, Leolin Zas (10) on the other flank.
The twin pillars in the scrum, the flame-haired Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, are both Springboks while number eight Evan Roos (44) sits alongside Connacht and Ireland wing Mack Hansen in terms of the most defenders beaten in the tournament to date. Only fellow South African side, the Lions, have won in Cape Town in the URC this season.
The last time Leinster were beaten two weeks running in the league – they lost narrowly to the Sharks in Durban last weekend – was three years ago this month. Stormers' assistant coach Dawie Snyman said: "It's obviously a massive game. Leinster are a great side and they have got good structures in place. They put the Sharks under pressure in Durban and it's never easy winning there.
“I think Leinster will challenge you in every area. They are sharp at the set-piece, and they are probably one of the better attacking teams around. They also have a good kicking game because they’re used to playing in Europe. So, when preparing to face them, you need to prepare for every aspect.
“They are quite a unique team in terms of how they put pressure on you with the ball in hand. They stick to their game and they back it, regardless of the opposition or the conditions.
“We want to play a certain way, and it starts from somewhere, so Wilmar’s (Arnoldi) main priority (when he comes on) will be the set-piece, we want him to focus on that this week. We know he’s quite a tough player and he’s good on the ground, he’s also a good defender and a good scrummaging hooker.”
Meanwhile, the incentive for Leinster and Munster to win their respective Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final matches is to secure a semi-final in the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster travel to Welford Road to take on the Leicester Tigers on Saturday week and if they can win that match are guaranteed a semi-final in Dublin against Munster – Thomond Park isn't available so even though they are seeded higher than Leinster the game would take place at the Aviva stadium - or defending champions Toulouse.
If Munster win and Leinster lose, then Johann van Graan’s side would travel to Welford Road for a semi-final clash with the Leicester Tigers.
DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies, Steven Kitshoff (capt), JJ Kotze, Frans Malherbe; Adre Smith, Marvin Orie; Deon Fourie, Hacjivah Dayimani, Evan Roos.
Replacements: Wilmar Arnoldi, Brok Harris, Neethling Fouche, Salmaan Moerat, Junior Pokomela, Ben-Jason Dixon, Paul de Wet, Juan de Jongh.
