Experience off the bench key for Stormers in humdinger Stade Mayol Champions Cup test

The Stormers are determined to mount a serious challenge from start to finish when they face Toulon in their Champions Cup Round of 16 clash on Saturday afternoon.

While they have opted to rotate players in a couple of key positions for this make-or-break European encounter at Stade Mayol (4pm kick-off), it remains one of the strongest match-day 23s they could have selected for the French trip.

Springboks Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Deon Fourie, along with lineout specialist JD Schickerling, are set to make an impact off the bench. Their experience could prove crucial in closing out the contest.

Much will rest on the shoulders of relatively inexperienced flyhalf Jurie Matthee and young lock Connor Evans, who will be tasked with guiding key areas in the backline and the tight exchanges up front.

The return-from-injury of veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, with his wealth of experience in France, alongside No 7 flanker Hacjivah Dayimani, adds valuable insight into the opposition. Both players recently featured in the Top 14 with Montpellier and Racing 92 before returning to Cape Town.

Based on the selected side, director of rugby John Dobson clearly wants his team to make a genuine statement. The Stormers certainly possess the calibre to do so and it is not a team that will just roll over and accept their fate in the Champions Cup. They will look to mount a serious challenge to make it to the quarter-final of the tournament.

Now, the onus will be on the starting XV to silence the notoriously vocal Stade Mayol crowd from the outset. Thereafter, the ‘Storm Squad’ – as the replacements are known – must deliver a composed finish to secure what would be a memorable victory on French soil.

Stormers XV

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Damian Willemse, 13 Ruhan Nel (capt), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Oli Kebble.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Imad Khan, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

Toulon XV

15 Marius Domon, 14 Gaël Drean, 13 Nacho Brex, 12 Antoine Frisch, 11 Setariki Tuicuvu, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Ben White, 8 Mikheil Shioshvili , 7 Charles Ollivon (captain), 6 Junior Kpoku, 5 David Ribbans (captain), 4 Corentin Mezou, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Teddy Baubigny, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros.

Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Giorgi Javakhia, 20 Matthias Halagahu, 21 Zach Mercer, 22 Mathis Ferte, 23 Ma'a Nonu.

Kick-off: 4pm

Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)