Taute, Jantjies make Stormers debut, still no Schalk

Allister Coetzee, the DHL Stormers head coach, has announced his team for Friday’s 2013 Vodacom Super Rugby opener against the Bulls in Pretoria (kick-off 19h10).

Centre Jean de Villiers will lead the team into battle in the absence of Schalk Burger (calf muscle injury), whilst there are first-ever Stormers Super Rugby starts for new recruits Jaco Taute, Elton Jantjies and Pat Cilliers.

Twenty-one-year-old centre Damian de Allende, who started in the 2012 Absa Currie Cup Final, will get his first-ever taste of Super Rugby action, whilst, on the bench, Nizaam Carr (knee) and Dewaldt Duvenage (broken leg) make their returns are spending some time on the sidelines last year.

Reserve hooker Martin Bezuidenhout will be hoping for his first official game time in a Stormers jersey after featuring in pre-season games against the Cheetahs and Boland, whilst Springbok lock Andries Bekker will play in his 95th Super Rugby match for the DHL Stormers.

The DHL Stormers team to take on the Bulls is as follows:

15. Jaco Taute

14. Gio Aplon

13. Jean de Villiers (captain)

12. Damian de Allende

11. Bryan Habana

10. Elton Jantjies

9. Nic Groom

8. Duane Vermeulen

7. Rynhardt Elstadt

6. Siya Kolisi

5. Andries Bekker

4. De Kock Steenkamp

3. Pat Cilliers

2. Deon Fourie

1. Steven Kitshoff

Reserves:

16. Martin Bezuidenhout

17. Frans Malherbe

18. Don Armand

19. Nizaam Carr

20. Dewaldt Duvenage

21. Gerhard van den Heever

22. Joe Pietersen

Referee: Jaco Peyper

Tags: Bulls, Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute, Schalk Burger, Stormers, Super Rugby