Schalk Burger says there will be no shortage of physical aggression when the Stormers go head-to-head with the Cheetahs in the Pre-Season Series at Newlands on Saturday.

NO SHORTAGE OF AGGRESSION: BURGER 

The Stormers captain said on Wednesday that physicality had become the hallmark of an all-South African contest.

“The physical contact will be high,” Burger said.

“It might be a friendly, and the intensity might not be up to the real thing, but it is an all-South African clash and when SA teams clash, the aggression tops the scales.”  

Burger said, at this stage, the country’s five Super Rugby franchises did not know what to make of the Southern Kings’ new-found status, which may result in relegation fears.

The SA Rugby Union confirmed last week that the Kings would compete in the Super Rugby series in 2013.

“There’s no clarity about which of the franchises may have to make way for the Southern Kings or if one team will be relegated,” Burger said.

“So it’s safe to say there’s no perceived relegation threat hovering over the existing teams.

“Our aim is to go one step further [than we went last season] and win a trophy.

“We won the SA conference last year, and if we are to do better than that, we know we need to make a good start.”   Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee, meanwhile, named Gerhard van den Heever at fullback for the Cheetahs clash, even though the player was widely used as a wing by the Blue Bulls in recent seasons. 

“Gerhard has played almost all of his age-group rugby at fullback and it’s a good option to have a big, strong player behind [the team’s three-quarters],” said Coetzee.  

“He’s a fine fullback prospect, along with Joe Pietersen and Gio Aplon. It will be good for him to have another run.”  Coetzee named a largely second-string side of 26 players, though Burger was named in the run-on XV.

“It’s important to have your captain to play with the youngsters,” Coetzee explained.

“He helps the youngsters to stay composed as they try to front up to the intensity levels.”   A surprise inclusion in the match-day squad was ageing scrumhalf Bolla Conradie, who impressed in the previous warm-up game against Boland.

Stormers side: Gerhard van den Heever, Danie Poolman, Marcel Brache, JP Du Plessis, Edries Arendse, Demitri Catrakilis, Nic Groom, Nizaan Carr, Siya Kolisi, Schalk Burger (captain), De Kock Steenkamp, Rynardt Elstadt, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Deon Carstens. Replacements: Siyabonga Ntubeni, Steven Kitschoff, Brok Harris, Eben Etzebeth, Donovan Armand, Nick Fenton-Wells, Rohan Kitshoff, Johannes Conradie, Kurt Coleman, Michael van der Spuy, Berton Klaasen.