Springbok Sevens star Zain Davids will lead DHL Western Province on his senior debut for the province he excelled for when he was playing at age-group level in the opening Carling Currie Cup match of the new season against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Cape Town on Saturday.
An indication of the strong emphasis being put on development in the domestic season is the fact that Davids is one of seven players making their debuts in the north/south clash, with the others being his Blitzbok teammate and fullback Shilton van Wyk, wing Quewin Nortje, promising scrumhalf Asad Moos, No 8 De Wet Marais, lock Alex Groves and tighthead prop Cabous Eloff.
While neither of them boast experience of senior level provincial rugby, Van Wyk and Nortje are joined in the back three by the experienced former Lions and Springbok wing Courtnall Skosan, while Luke Burger, who has played wing and fullback for WP in the Currie Cup in the past, joins Damian Markus in completing what looks like a potentially potent back division.
Here is our team for the Carling Currie Cup North-South opener at DHL Stadium on Saturday. 🔵⚪️
— WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) July 25, 2025
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/VBqWIRMTc3
🎟️ Tickets https://t.co/Y2U4qC5w8A
ℹ️ All you need to know https://t.co/ElyfFGNe4q#wpjoulekkerding pic.twitter.com/Y3AR9YYsLU
If the forwards can win the backs enough ball there is also the promising young flyhalf Kyle Smith, who has gone up the Stormers’ pecking order now that Manie Libbok is leaving, ready to show his skills and direct operations from pivot.
The immediate next cab off the rank when it comes to Stormers flyhalves, Jurie Matthee, is in the wider WP squad but is not playing in this game.
There is pace to burn among the backline replacements Ezekiel Ngobeni, Sako Makata and another former Blitzbok star Tristan Leyds.
Winning the ball against what looks like a much more experienced Bulls pack, which features Bok lock Marvin Orie and former WP Currie Cup captain Nama Xaba, and yet another former Stormers player in Junior Pokomela, will though be easier said than done.
However, Gary Porter, who played behind Orie at the Stormers in 2023, will feel he has a point to prove, while Scarra Ntubeni and Sti Sithole are experienced front rankers.
Reserve prop Arno Gustafson, reserve lock Carlo van Greunen and looseforward Erhard Lambrecht are all players selected out of the Western Cape club system and there will be considerable interest when they come on if they provide the performances that could indicate that they could add to the WP depth during the rest of the campaign.
The eight WP members of last week’s winning Junior Springbok effort at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship were unavailable for this game as they only returned from Italy during the course of the week.
Round one gets underway tonight 🍿
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2025
All four matches are 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 on SuperSport 📺#SSRugby | #CurrieCup pic.twitter.com/s5988Ui3I6
Saturday's game is also the senior coaching debut for Labeeb Levy, who is promoted to the role after serving as Stormers director of rugby John Dobson's assistant in previous seasons.
DHL Western Province team: Shilton van Wyk, Courtnall Skosan, Luke Burger, Damian Markus, Quewin Nortje, Kyle Smith, Asad Moos, De Wet Marais, Louw Nel, Zain Davids (captain), Gary Porter, Alex Groves, Cabous Eloff, Scarra Ntubeni, Sti Sithole. Replacements: Lukhanyo Vokozela, Mhleli Khuzwayo, Arno Gustafson, Carlo van Greunen, Erhard Lambrecht, Ezekiel Ngobeni, Sako Makata, Tristan Leyds.