Markus Muller has been named on the Stormers XXIII bench for Friday’s SA Rugby U23 Cup match against the Sharks U23 at Kings Park.
The 18-year-old Junior Boks centre recently attended the first Springbok alignment camp of the year.
There are eight players with Stormers caps in the starting lineup for the coastal clash, which kicks off at 3:30pm.
Springbok prop Zachary Porthen is joined in the front row by Junior Bok Olly Reid and hooker Luca Bakkes. Captain Gary Porter is in the second row alongside the young Tom Barnard, while Junior Boks captain Riley Norton will link up with Keke Morabe and Alutha Wesi in the loose trio.
Imad Khan will partner Dominic Malgas at halfback, with Luke Burger and Josh Boulle in midfield while fullback JC Mars will have Suleiman Hartzenberg and Mfundo Ndhlovu outside him on the wings.
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“It was valuable to get some competitive game time against the Seattle Seawolves last week, although we did pay for it a bit with a few injuries,” said Stormers XXIII coach Labeeb Levy.
“Nonetheless, we have managed to put a strong team together and we face a tough away assignment first-up so we’ll have to be on our game from the start,” he said.
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Meanwhile, fullback Hakeem Kunene is one of several players with URC experience selected for the Sharks U23s, who lost 24-7 to the Lions XV in Durban last week.
Up to seven over-age players can be included in a match 23 for the tournament, which features a double-round league format between South Africa’s four Vodacom URC clubs.
SHARKS U23 – 15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Phiko Sobahle, 13 Janco Purchase, 12 Marnus Potgieter, 11 Khuthi Rasivhaga, 10 Pieter Bergh, 9 Ceano Everson, 8 Hanu Pieterse (c), 7 Wasi Vyambwera, 6 Jean-Henri Smit, 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Coetzee le Roux, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Liam van Wyk, 1 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko.
Bench: 16 Ntuthuko Mthembu, 17 Kai Pratt, 18 Dian Heunis, 19 Tino Mavesere, 20 Luan Olivier, 21 Philip McLaren, 22 Albie Bester, 23 Scott Nel.
STORMERS XXIII – 15 JC Mars, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Josh Boulle, 12 Luke Burger, 11 Mfundo Ndhlovu, 10 Dominic Malgas, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Riley Norton, 6 Alutha Wesi, 5 Gary Porter (c), 4 Tom Barnard, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Luca Bakkes, 1 Olly Reid.
Bench: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Herman Lubbe, 19 Alex Groves, 20 Torren February, 21 Asad Moos, 22 Kyle Smith, 23 Markus Muller.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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