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Stormers, Rebels both look to end skid

By Online Editors

The Stormers, desperate to end their losing streak, have brought back some heavy artillery for their round 11 clash with the Rebels.

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Wing JJ Engelbrecht and flanker Kobus van Dyk will start for the Stormers at Newlands on Friday.

The Stormers are back home after three away games – which they lost to the Bulls, Lions and Sharks.

Engelbrecht’s inclusion on the left wing is the only change to the backline, while in the forward pack Van Dyk is at blindside flanker, with Pieter-Steph du Toit shifting to lock – where he will partner Chris van Zyl.

Cobus Wiese and Seabelo Senatla both make their return from injury on the replacements bench.

Stormers coach Robbie Fleck said that his team is looking forward to playing at Newlands once again.

“It is always good to be back at Newlands and playing in front of our faithful supporters who have played a big role in our three wins at home this season,” he said.

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The Rebels are looking to end their own South African skid, having lost 13 straight games on South African soil.

The good news is their captain Adam Coleman will join them at Newlands, after shrugging off injury concerns stemming from an early exit during last weekend’s loss to the Bulls.

Lopeti Timani comes onto the flank for Ross Haylett-Petty, while Billy Meakes returns to the centres to replace the injured Dane Haylett-Petty. Jack Maddocks will start at fullback, and Tom English on the wing.

Wallabies front-rower Jermaine Ainsley makes his first start since March in a direct swap with Sam Talakai, who is in line to make his 50th Super Rugby appearance this Friday.

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Among the reserves, 20-year-old front-rower Sama Malolo is set to make his Super Rugby debut if called upon, while flanker Colby Fainga’a and outside back Semisi Tupou round out the inclusions.

Melbourne Rebels Head Coach, Dave Wessels said: “It’s great to have LT (Timani), Jermaine and Billy back in the team – aside from Aranu Rangi (who has been fantastic) it’s the pack that we started our campaign with. We know there’s a fair bit of cohesion in that group and that will be important on Friday.

“The Stormers are a quality outfit and a particularly dangerous prospect in front of their Cape Town crowd. It’s a wonderful challenge for our players and we’re excited for Friday.”

STORMERS

15. Dillyn Leyds, 14. Craig Barry, 13. EW Viljoen, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Damian Willemse, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7. Kobus van Dyk, 6. Siya Kolisi (captain), 5. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4. Chris van Zyl, 3. Wilco Louw, 2. Ramone Samuels, 1. Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16. Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17. Jacobus Janse van Rensburg, 18. Carlu Sadie, 19. Cobus Wiese, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Paul de Wet, 22. Sarel Marais, 23. Seabelo Senatla.

REBELS

15. Jack Maddocks, 14. Tom English, 13. Reece Hodge, 12. Billy Meakes, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Jack Debreczeni, 9. Will Genia, 8. Amanaki Mafi, 7. Angus Cottrell, 6. Lopeti Timani, 5. Adam Coleman (C), 4. Matt Philip, 3. Jermaine Ainsley, 2. Anaru Rangi, 1. Tetera Faulkner.
Replacements: 16. Sama Malolo, 17. Fereti Sa’aga, 18. Sam Talakai, 19. Geoff Parling, 20. Colby Fainga’a, 21. Harrison Goddard, 22. Semisi Tupou, 23. Sefa Naivalu.

In other news:

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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