Former SA U20 lock Eben Etzebeth has been selected to partner Andries Bekker at lock when the DHL Stormers open their 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby campaign against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Etzebeth is yet to play at Absa Currie Cup level but a big future is expected of the 2.03 metre tall lock. He is the only player in the DHL Stormers' starting XV without any Vodacom Super Rugby experience.
Gerhard van den Heever will make his Stormers debut after moving to Cape Town from Pretoria, while Schalk Burger will captain the team at DHL Newlands on Saturday. Bryan Habana will start at outside centre following an injury to Juan de Jongh.
The DHL Stormers team is: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Bryan Habana, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Stephen Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marcel Brache.