Champions Cup: Stormers missing big guns for first battle against Leicester

The Cape Town outfit will have to make do without a number of their biggest stars, however, who have not made the trip over to England for what effectively constitutes a one-week tour, opting to stay in South Africa to prepare for a run of four straight matches on home soil.

Experienced prop Brok Harris will lead the team in Leicester, while flyhalf Jurie Matthee, who featured regularly for Western Province in the Currie Cup last season, will make his Stormers debut, as will lock Dylan Sjoblom who has been named among the replacements.

Clayton Blommeties is at fullback and is joined in the back three by two wings who have experience playing in England, Courtnall Skosan and Ben Loader.

Suleiman Hartzenberg makes his first start of the season at outside centre, forming a midfield partnership with Jean-Luc du Plessis, while Matthee will link up with scrumhalf Paul de Wet.

No 8 Keke Morabe will have flanks Willie Engelbrecht and Nama Xaba on either side of him, while there are also first starts this season for locks Hendre Stassen and Connor Evans.

The front row sees Harris joined by experienced hooker Scarra Ntubeni and loosehead Sti Sithole.

There are also first appearances this season for hooker JJ Kotze, loose forward Junior Pokomela and centre Cornel Smit on the replacements bench.

Stormers Head Coach John Dobson said he was excited to see what his young team can do against a loaded Leicester side that will include the likes of Springbok duo Handre Pollard and Jasper Wiese.

"Mattioli Woods Welford Road is a renowned rugby venue with a lot of history and we are determined to impress as the first Stormers team to play there," he said.

"It has been something of a balancing act given the six-day turnaround before our home game next week, but we are excited to see how this team performs on the big stage."

Following the clash in Leicester the Stormers will be back on home turf for four consecutive Summer Sundowner matches at the DHL Stadium.

They face back-to-back Champions Cup winners Stade Rochelais on 16 December ahead of United Rugby Championship derbies against the Bulls (23 December) and Sharks (30 December) before taking on the Sale Sharks on 13 January.

DHL Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 11 Ben Loader, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Hendre Stassen, 3 Brok Harris (captain), 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Sti Sithole.

Replacements: 16: JJ Kotze, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 Junior Pokomela, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Cornel Smit.

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