If Steven Kitshoff's celebration at being made captain of the Stormers last week was a little under the radar, he now has proper cause to send the corks skyward.
Kitshoff will play his 100th match for the Stormers when they Griquas in their Super Rugby Unlocked clash in Kimberley on Saturday.
Kitshoff, who was named captain of the team last week in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi, has become a stalwart for the Stormers and Western Province after making his debut at the age of 19 nine years ago.
His career in the Cape was interrupted by a stint at Bordeaux Begles between 2015 and 2017 when he further honed his skills in the cut and thrust of the Top 14 before returning to make telling contributions for province and country.
Kitshoff has become one of the more reliably dominant front rankers in the country and formed part of the so-called Bomb Squad that made such an impact to the Bok cause at last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
“Steven is the ultimate professional and it is wonderful that he joins his old friends Siya Kolisi and Frans Malherbe as Stormers centurions,” reminded Stormers coach John Dobson.
Dobson made three changes to the pack and two in the backline for the team’s first ever clash in Kimberley.
Tighthead prop Neethling Fouche, lock David Meihuizen and flank Marcel Theunissen come into the starting line-up, while wing Angelo Davids will make his debut. Scrumhalf Paul de Wet replaces Herschel Jantjies, who misses the match on compassionate grounds.
With Fouche in the starting team, Malherbe will come off the bench in the second half to help quell whatever threat Griquas poses in the tight exchanges in the second half.
The extended bench also features hooker Scarra Ntubeni and a fit-again centre Ruhan Nel.
“We know that playing in Kimberley is always a big test and our team is determined to put together a convincing performance up there,” added Dobson, who will want to see huge improvement from his side after the drubbing they got at Loftus Versfeld last week.
Stormers team to play Griquas - Warrick Gelant; Edwill van der Merwe, Dan du Plessis, Rikus Pretorius, Angelo Davids; Damian Willemse, Paul de Wet; Juarno Augustus, Ernst van Rhyn, Marcel Theunissen; JD Schickerling, David Meihuizen; Neethling Fouche, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff (captain). Substitutes (from): Scarra Ntubeni, Kwenzo Blose, Frans Malherbe, Sazi Sandi, Salmaan Moerat, Chris van Zyl, Ben-Jason Dixon, Godlen Masimla, Tim Swiel, Michal Hazner, Ruhan Nel.
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