Cobus Reinach leads Springbok-strengthed Stormers against winless Ulster in Cape Town

Seven current Springbok squad members will start for the Stormers when they host Ulster at DHL Stadium on Friday. The South African side will kick off at 12.45pm Irish time in round five of the United Rugby Championship.

Ulster enters the match with a record of two losses and two draws. The province has not secured a league victory this season. Their previous outing in Pretoria against the Bulls ended in a try bonus point, a result that left players with a sense of growing frustration.

The Stormers lineup includes Cobus Reinach, Damian Willemse, and Paul de Villiers. Rising stars Yaqeen Ahmed and Markus Muller also start for the hosts. Wilco Louw and Evan Roos join them in the pack. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is absent from the Stormers selection.

Ulster will contest the match without eight members of its Ireland squad. Those players returned to national camp after appearing for the Bulls. Coach Richie Murphy has assembled a side to fill the gaps, including first season appearances for Rob Herring and James Hume.

Juarno Augustus returns to his hometown club for the fixture. The 28-year-old backrower joined Ulster from Northampton Saints last season. He described the South African environment as a personal challenge that he enjoys.

Augustus noted that the Stormers drew with Ulster 38-all in Belfast last year. He stated that the dynamic shifts when playing at the opponent's home ground. "It's at their home now, so we need to be sharper," he said.

The backrower emphasized the need for consistency from the start to the finish of the 80-minute period. He attributed Ulster's recent struggles to small errors that interrupt momentum. "That's fixable," he said. "We just need to get it right and then we'll be good."

Ulster's new midfield pairing of James Hume and Ben Carson takes the field. Zac Ward starts on the wing, and Ethan McIlroy comes in at fullback. In the forward pack, Eric O'Sullivan starts at loosehead prop, and Eli Snyman joins Ben Donnell at lock.

Cormac Izuchukwu shifts to the back row, allowing captain David McCann to move to openside. The referee for the match is S Grove-White from the South African Rugby Union. The Stormers seek to avoid the volatile performance they delivered against the Scarlets last weekend, which ended in a 52-40 loss.