Highlanders v Stormers: Teams

Highlanders make just two changes to the starting XV for the Super 14 clash with the Stormers on Friday.

The New Zealanders turned in one of their worst performances of the season last weekend with a 26-6 defeat to the Blues, but there are no new faces in the match-day 22.

Second rower Hayden Briggs and hooker Jason Rutledge both come off the bench at the expense of Josh Bekhuis and David Hall.

Tenth-placed Highlanders must pick up maximum points if they are to hold out any hope of advancing to the play-offs.

Stormers' injury woes continue with the loss of their influential captain Jean De Villiers, who has been flown back to Cape Town together with tighthead prop Brian Mujati.

Schalk Burger assumes the captaincy and Willem De Waal is back in at fly-half while Peter Grant shifts to inside centre in place of the injured De Villiers.

Lock Andries Bekker returns after injury and will boost the Stormers line-out options, with Hilton Lobberts returning to the bench after his first start last week.

Brock Harris will start in the front row at tighthead, as specialist loosehead Wicus Blaauw has struggled to cover on the opposite side and drops to the bench.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Jason Shoemark, 12 Daniel Bowden, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Mathew Berquist, 9 Jimmy Cowan (c), 8 George Naoupu, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Hayden Triggs, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.

Replacements: 16 David Hall, 17 Chris King, 18 Josh Bekhuis, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Johnny Leota, 22 Kendrick Lynn.

Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Gcobani Bobo, 13 Dylan Des Fountain, 12 Peter Grant, 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Willem De Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 AJ Venter, 3 Brock Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JD Moller,

Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Hilton Lobberts, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Morgan Newman, 22 Liam Bax