ulster vs stormers now carries a selection twist that puts Evan Roos level with Duane Vermeulen’s Stormers No.8 record. John Dobson has reshaped his side for Friday night in Belfast, with the Stormers still second on the log and trying to protect a home quarter-final place.
Roos Matches Vermeulen
Roos starts at the back of the scrum for the 73rd time, drawing level with Vermeulen for the most starts in the Stormers No.8 jersey. Deon Fourie captains from the back row in his 140th appearance for the franchise, while Ben-Jason Dixon completes the loose trio.
Dobson also moved Damian Willemse from full-back to inside centre, with Dan du Plessis alongside him in the midfield and Warrick Gelant restored at full-back. Imad Khan starts at scrum-half with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, after Cobus Reinach suffered a knee injury.
Dobson Shifts His Back Row
The bench is the other wrinkle. Dobson named three loose forwards among the replacements in Paul de Villiers, Hacjivah Dayimani and Keke Morabe, a set-up that mirrors the Springboks’ front-row-cover thinking from the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.
That approach fits World Rugby Law 3.8, which requires teams to carry at least six front rowers in 23-man squads, while Law 3.11 allows a replacement front-row player to start in another position. Sazi Sandi joins André-Hugo Venter and Ntuthuko Mchunu up front, with Oli Kebble, Zachary Porthen and Connor Evans among the other replacements and Stefan Ungerer plus Jurie Matthee covering the back line.
Belfast Pressure Builds
The Stormers go to Belfast after beating the Glasgow Warriors last time out, but Ulster are not waiting quietly either. They booked their place in the Challenge Cup finals last weekend, and Dobson said: “We have been forced to make a few changes, but we are excited about what this team can do and we know it will take the best of us to get the win.”
He added: “As we get closer to the play-offs the stakes get higher each week and this is a crucial match in the context of our season.” With the Stormers chasing a first-ever win in Belfast and sitting second on the log, the selection gamble is built around keeping momentum while covering the injuries to Salmaan Moerat and JD Schickerling.
