30/04/2008 15:25

Gavin Rich

Cape Town - The time for rotation and experimentation is over, so the Stormers team to face the Brumbies in their Super 14 match at Newlands on Saturday shows nine changes, including two positional switches, from the one that beat the Highlanders last week.

The midfield combination of Jean de Villiers and Gcobani Bobo is the only that stays unchanged from the team that won 26-16 against the Highlanders, with coach Rassie Erasmus reverting to what he sees as his first choice team for the final three matches of the league stages.

Of course, it is not completely first choice, because there have been injuries, which accounts for Robbie Diack's selection at No 8, with Luke Watson moving back to flank as one of the positional switches to the team that played last week. In the other positional switch, Brian Mujati moves to loosehead from his regular position of tighthead.

There is a minor surprise on the wing, where former Lions, Bulls, Cheetahs and Mighty Elephants veteran Wylie Human comes in for Dylan des Fountain. Erasmus explained this selection by pointing at Human's steadiness, plus his strong field kicking game, something that might come in useful against the Brumbies.

The regular halfback pairing of Ricky Januarie and Peter Grant are reunited as Bolla Conradie and Tony Brown drop back to the bench, while Adriaan Fondse returns to the starting second row in place of Ross Skeate.

Brok Harris comes in to start at tighthead to enable Mujati to switch, while Schalk Brits is back in the No 2 jersey following the injury to Tiaan Liebenberg.

Brits may have come back this week anyway as Erasmus, like he has with the locks, has rotated the hookers throughout the season.

"We have tried as far as possible to keep the pack that has played the most together for this game as this is a stage of the season where it will be important to have players who know each other and have played often together," said Erasmus.

"Mujati has moved into loosehead in many of the games and done well and it is something that we asked him to look at and work on early in the season when Eddie Andrews was injured and Schalk Ferreira had his accident.

"We could have introduced Wylie last week, but I felt that I needed a week to get him used to the pattern. He was with us in the pre-season, but he has been with the WP Vodacom Cup team ever since then. He obviously isn't as quick as Tondie (Chavhanga) but he will probably be the most experienced backline player on the field on Saturday and he brings other things."

Stormers:

Conrad Jantjes, Wylie Human, Gcobani Bobo, Jean de Villiers (captain), Sireli Naqelevuki, Peter Grant, Ricky Januarie, Robbie Diack, Francois Louw, Luke Watson, Andries Bekker, Adriaan Fondse, Brok Harris, Schalk Brits, Brian Mujati.

Reserves: Deon Fourie, Schalk Ferreira, Ross Skeate, Pieter Myburgh, Bolla Conradie, Tony Brown, Dylan des Fountain.