Coleman at 10 for Stormers

Kurt Coleman will start at flyhalf for the Stormers' opening warm-up match against the SWD Eagles in George on Saturday.

New captain Duane Vermeulen will lead a starting XV that has shown a number of changes from the one that featured in the Currie Cup final in October.

Elsewhere in the pack, prop Steven Kitshoff returns from a long-term injury and Vincent Koch will make his first start for his new team. Young lock Gerbrandt Grobler is paired with Argentinean international Manuel Carizza in the second row.

Among the backs, Kurt Coleman will form a halfback combination with Nic Groom as coach Allister Coetzee shows his hand for the first time in 2015.

Dillyn Leyds will start on the left wing as part of an exciting back three with EW Viljoen on the right wing and speedster Cheslin Kolbe lining up at fullback.

Coetzee has named an extended bench of 11 players as he looks to get his players up to speed ahead of the Vodacom Super Rugby season.

'We have trained very well so far, and had a particularly successful trip to Hermanus last week,' Coetzee told the Stormers website. 'However, as we all know there is no substitute for actual game time and trying out what you have trained in an actual game situation.'

'We have some goals in mind ahead of Saturday’s match, which includes making use of an enlarged bench, so we’re looking forward to getting some answers this week in our first of three pre-season matches.'

Stormers – 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 EW Viljoen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs (from): Bongi Mbonambi, Oliver Kebble, Wilco Louw, Jurie van Vuuren, Neil Rautenbach, Michael Willemse, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Louis Schreuder, Demetri Catrakilis, Huw Jones, Jaco Taute, Godlen Masimla, Robert du Preez.

All pre-season fixtures

Photo: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images