CAPE TOWN – The DHL Stormers welcome English giants Leicester Tigers to the DHL Stadium this Saturday for a high-stakes Round 4 encounter in the Investec Champions Cup. With Round of 16 qualification and crucial home-ground advantage on the line, both sides view this fixture as an early playoff.
Currently sitting in 3rd place in Pool 3, John Dobson’s men are looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat in London last week. Meanwhile, the Tigers arrive with renewed momentum following a dominant victory over Bayonne, knowing that a win in South Africa is essential to secure their own knockout ambitions.
A New Leader Takes the Reins
In a significant milestone for South African rugby, the supremely talented Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been named captain for the first time. The 23-year-old flyhalf steps in for regular skipper Salmaan Moerat, who is absent due to a family engagement.
“The goal for us is simple – we must beat a good Leicester Tigers team to continue our journey in this competition,” said Director of Rugby John Dobson. “We have every faith that the players selected will rise to the occasion.”
The Permutations: What’s at Stake?
The battle for Pool 3 is one of the most competitive in the tournament. Here is how the table stands heading into the final round:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Leinster | 3 | 3 | 0 | +64 | 14 |
| 2 | Harlequins | 3 | 2 | 1 | +62 | 10 |
| 3 | Stormers | 3 | 2 | 1 | -21 | 9 |
| 4 | Stade Rochelais | 3 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
| 5 | Leicester Tigers | 3 | 1 | 2 | +16 | 5 |
- Stormers Win: Guarantees a spot in the Round of 16 and potentially a home playoff depending on other results.
- Leicester Win: Could leapfrog the Stormers into the top four, potentially relegating the Cape Town side to the Challenge Cup.
Match Details & Team News
- Date: Saturday, 17 January 2026
- Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
- Kick-off: 17:15 (SA Time)
- Referee: Jeremy Rozier (France)
- Television: SuperSport (SA) / TNT Sports (UK)
The Lineups
The Stormers have reunited their regular back-row of Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, and Paul de Villiers, while Wandisile Simelane starts at fullback in place of the injured Warrick Gelant.
Stormers XV:
15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (c), 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.6
Leicester Tigers XV:
(Notable inclusions: Olly Cracknell (c), Billy Searle, Ollie Hassell-Collins, and Gabriel Hamer-Webb)
