The lineouts are shaping up as a highly competitive feature when the Stormers host the Kings in Saturday’s Super Rugby clash at Newlands on Saturday at 5.05pm.
The Kings have boasted a 90% lineout success rate this season, the fifth best in the campaign. However, the Stormers have stolen 44 opposition lineouts in 2016, 15 more than any other side.
Most of these steals were secured by the Bok pairing of Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Stepj du Toit but both have been rested for the match, the Kings may just feel better about their chances of doing well in the line-outs.
The lineout stat is perhaps the lone ray of sunshine the Kings’ record this season. The Kings have lost their last 11 games away from home and have conceded an average of 46.5 points per game in that run.
The Stormers have already made sure of their place in the playoffs thanks to a haul of 10 log points collected from their two recent away games in Australia.
Meanwhile Lock Chris van Zyl is set to make his Stormers debut if he comes off the bench on Saturday.
He captained Western Province in the Currie Cup Qualifiers this season and is joined on the bench by prop JC Janse van Rensburg and scrumhalf Jano Vermaak. The latter are both back from injury.
With Daniel du Plessis out with concussion its means Huw Jones will start his first match of the season at outside centre while scrumhalf Louis Schreuder come into the starting line-up for Nic Groom who is being rested.
Up front, Rynhardt Elstadt starts at flank with Siya Kolisi set to come off the bench. Scarra Ntubeni comes in at hooker, and as expected JD Schickerling and Jean Kleyn start in place of Springbok lock-pairing Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth who are rested.
There have been only two previous encounters between these teams in which only 66 points were scored in total, though the Stormers emerged victorious from both fixtures.
The Cape side come into this game on the back of a three-game winning streak, the last time they won four in a row was the opening four rounds of the 2015 season.
The Kings have lost their last 11 games away from home and have conceded an average of 46.5 points per game in that run.
Deon Davids, the Kings coach, made three changes to his side. Steven Sykes returns to captain the side, replacing Schalk Oelofse at lock, while Dewald Human gets a starting birth at flyhalf for the first time.
Oelofse is currently on the bench, but had a niggle with his shoulder during training on Thursday and Davids has bracketed Sintu Manjezi as a possible replacement.
Teams:
DHL Stormers: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Schalk Burger (captain), 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 JP Smith, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Brandon Thomson, 23 Scott van Breda.
Southern Kings: 15. Malcolm Jaer, 14. Lukhanyo Am, 13. Stefan Watermeyer, 12. Shane Gates (vice-captain), 11. Wandile Mjekevu, 10. Dewald Human, 9. James Hall, 8. Jacques Engelbrecht, 7. Stefan Willemse, 6. Andisa Ntsila, 5. JC Astle, 4. Steven Sykes (captain), 3. Jacobie Adriaanse, 2. Edgar Marutlulle, 1. Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16: Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Schalk Ferreira, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Schalk Oelofse / Sintu Manjezi, 20. Aidon Davis, 21. Kevin Luiters, 22. Elgar Watts, 23. Jeremy Ward.
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Rodney Boneparte
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
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