Overview
- The Stormers travel to Belfast to face eighth-placed Ulster on Friday in a test that could shuffle the top four, with home quarter-final places conferring knockout home advantage.
- Deon Fourie captains the Stormers with Ruhan Nel sidelined by a calf strain as Damian Willemse moves to inside centre, Dan du Plessis shifts to 13, Warrick Gelant starts at fullback and Imad Khan replaces the injured Cobus Reinach at scrumhalf.
- The Bulls named Willie le Roux at flyhalf against Zebre and moved Handré Pollard to the bench, with coach Johan Ackermann testing new combinations at Loftus Versfeld before the playoffs.
- The Lions kept a settled 23 for Leinster away, bringing Etienne Oosthuizen back at lock and shifting Ruan Venter to flank, while Leinster are without several regulars including Caelan Doris and Garry Ringrose.
- Already out of the playoff race, the Sharks will start 18-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya at flyhalf against Benetton as coach JP Pietersen fast-tracks young talent for next season.