Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has been talking up the significance of the game and has continued that theme. The Stormers, after all, have to win their three remaining matches to keep the heat on the top four.
“There is little room for error as the play-offs get closer and having had all of last week to prepare we are determined to give our best on Friday night.
“We know Rodney Parade is a tough place to play, so it will require a big effort to get the result we need,” he said.
Stormers team to play the Dragons - Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Angelo Davids; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies; Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Willie Engelbrecht; Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain); Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba, Sti Sithole. Substitutes: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Neethling Fouche, Adre Smith, Hacjivah Dayimani; Stefan Ungerer, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Stormers beef up with reinforcements to battle Dragons
The Stormers will unleash some of their fit-again reinforcements in Friday's United Rugby Championship clash against the Dragons in Newport.
Perhaps predictably, wing Angelo Davids, loose head prop Sti Sithole and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are all restored to the match-day 23 at Rodney Parade.
All three players' return is timely with Davids coming back amid dwindling stocks on the wing, Sithole alleviates the workload of the men who have soldiered on amid a loosehead crisis, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu's return should provide the Stormers' attack with another gear late in the game.
Davids will have Suleiman Hartzenberg on the other wing, allowing Wandisile Simelane to partner Dan du Plessis in midfield.
Sithole is part of a powerful front row with Frans Malherbe and Joseph Dweba.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu will make his return off the bench that also features fellow backliners Stefan Ungerer and Jean-Luc du Plessis.
Apart from Sithole, the other change in the pack sees Willie Engelbrecht included on the side of the scrum.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson has been talking up the significance of the game and has continued that theme. The Stormers, after all, have to win their three remaining matches to keep the heat on the top four.
“There is little room for error as the play-offs get closer and having had all of last week to prepare we are determined to give our best on Friday night.
“We know Rodney Parade is a tough place to play, so it will require a big effort to get the result we need,” he said.
Stormers team to play the Dragons - Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Angelo Davids; Manie Libbok, Herschel Jantjies; Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Willie Engelbrecht; Ruben van Heerden, Salmaan Moerat (captain); Frans Malherbe, Joseph Dweba, Sti Sithole. Substitutes: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Neethling Fouche, Adre Smith, Hacjivah Dayimani; Stefan Ungerer, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.