Preview: Reds vs Stormers

The Stormers will be looking to salvage something from a poor tour when they meet the Reds in Brisbane.

Both sides need a win on Saturday. The Reds are currently 10th on the combined log while the Stormers are 14th, with just their superior points difference separating them from the bottom-placed Cheetahs.

The Reds lost both their matches – to the Sharks and Lions – on their tour to South Africa, while the Stormers will be trying to avert a winless Australasian tour for the first time since 2009. Last weekend, against the Brumbies, they missed a golden opportunity to rack up their first win Down Under but poor goal-kicking from flyhalf Peter Grant meant they failed yet again.

Allister Coetzee's side are desperate to finish their tour with a victory. That makes them dangerous and although they are yet to win on the road they showed glimpses of their attacking ability when chasing the game against the Brumbies.

Juan de Jongh showed his class with a well-taken try in that clash, and has been promoted to the starting line-up, while another player who impressed off the bench in recent weeks, Nizaam Carr, gets his first start of the season. The selection of Carr at No 6 is a forced one, given the Stormers have lost Schalk Burger and Tiaan Liebenberg to injury and Deon Fourie moves from flank to hooker. Lock Ruan Botha (ankle injury) failed a fitness test, and is replaced by Jurie van Vuuren in the starting side. 

Meanwhile, flanker Beau Robinson, hooker James Hanson and winger Dom Shipperley have all been brought into the Reds' starting line-up, as they look to return to winning ways.

The Stormers have beaten the Reds 10 times in total, of which four were away, which is a better record than their nine wins against the Waratahs (three away) and four against the Brumbies (one away).

Reds – 15 Lachie Turner, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Mike Harris, 11 Dom Shipperley, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Jake Schatz, 7 Beau Robinson, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 James Hanson, 1 James Slipper
Subs: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 Albert Anae, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Ed O'Donoghue, 20 Curtis Browning, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Anthony Fainga'a, 23 Ben Lucas

Stormers – 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Damian de Allende, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Michael Rhodes, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Tazz Fuzani, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Demetri Catrakilis, 23 Jaco Taute.

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Photo: Luke Walker/Gallo Images

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