Stormers shock with Damian Willemse on the wing as Sazi Sandi reaches 50-cap milestone

The Stormers have made a surprise selection call by deploying Damian Willemse on the wing, while tighthead prop Sazi Sandi is set to earn his 50th cap against Edinburgh in the Mother City on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Sandi will form an all-new front row with Springboks André-Hugo Venter and loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu in this crucial United Rugby Championship (URC) duel at the DHL Stadium (7pm kick-off).

They will look for early dominance at scrum time to provide the side with a stable platform from which they can launch their attacks.

Director of Rugby John Dobson also made some strategic changes to the back row, bringing in young fetcher Paul de Villiers and the hard-working Bok Ben-Jason Dixon on the other side of the loose trio. They’ll form a formidable combination with eighthman Evan Roos and will be crucial at the breakdown on both sides of the ball.

At the back, Willemse will feature on the right wing as the Cape side expects an aerial battle with their Scottish visitors. He replaces the injured Seabelo Senatla, with the Stormers low on wing stocks. Stefan Ungerer is the starting scrumhalf alongside flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

No 9 Dewaldt Duvenage and pivot Jurie Matthee are the backs on the bench in a six-two split. They will look to provide an impact alongside loosehead prop Oli Kebble, tighthead Neethling Fouché, hooker André-Hugo Venter, lock Connor Evans and loose forwards Deon Fourie and Hacjivah Dayimani.

“It has been a short week for us, and training has been intense. There are a few changes to the team, but every player coming in has already played a key role for us this season, so we are hoping to see them make a positive impact,” Dobson said.

Dobson also paid tribute to Sandi ahead of his 50th match.

“Sazi has been with us his whole career and has competed with some of the best players in the world in his position over that time. He is a fantastic player who adds so much value to our squad, and we know that we will get another committed performance from him on Saturday night.”

Stormers XV 

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Damian Willemse, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.

Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Neethling Fouché, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Hacjivah Dayimani, 22 Dewaldt Duvenage, 23 Jurie Matthee.