Two left wingers at opposite ends of their Super Rugby careers have been handed long-awaited callups for the mid-table clash between the Hurricanes and Stormers in Palmerston North.
Prolific Springboks veteran Bryan Habana makes his first Stormers appearance on Friday since damaging knee ligaments against the Chiefs in round three while the Hurricanes unveil 20-year-old debutant Matt Proctor, fresh off one promising provincial season with Wellington.
Proctor, who hasn’t even made the reserves bench through the first half of the season, scored four tries in 11 NPC matches after playing for New Zealand at the world junior championships.
He has sizeable boots to fill, with powerhouse All Blacks wing Julian Savea having pulled out of the match, removing much of the negative scrutiny surrounding the hosts this week.
Savea appeared in Wellington District Court on Monday charged with assaulting his partner, and mother of his child, earlier this month. He didn’t enter a plea.
Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett batted away a series of questions about Savea with clipped answers after training on Wednesday before opening up about the merits of the slimly-built Proctor, who he said had the talent to join the ranks of quality outside backs produced by the franchise.
“I just wonder in a year or so if we’re talking about this moment being a very special moment, another diamond sort of rolled out of this region,” Hammett said.
“When you look at him, he doesn’t look like a big nasty forward like myself. But he’s an extremely powerful and aggressive footballer.”
There are five forwards on the reserve bench – including speedy flanker Ardie Savea, who will cover wing in the event of injury – to counter what Hammett believes will be a muscular approach from the 11th-placed visitors.
“We go against the team with arguably the best driving lineout in world rugby,” he said.
“So from a physical and a mental perspective, the only way you’re going to get over the top of these guys is to make sure that we bring that (physical) game.”
The Stormers have won five of their last seven games in New Zealand and are coming off a bye following a sound defeat of the Sharks.
Habana’s return sees Gio Aplon shift to the right wing and Damian de Allende drop to the reserve bench while Pat Cilliers replaces Frans Malherbe at tighthead prop.
Stormers: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (capt), Bryan Habana, Gary van Aswegen, Dewaldt Duvenage, Duane Vermeulen, Michael Rhodes, Siya Kolisi, Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp, Pat Cilliers, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff. Res: Scarra Ntubeni, Brok Harris, Rynhardt Elstadt, Nizaam Carr, Nic Groom, Louis Schreuder, Damian de Allende.