Kade Wolhuter will make his first start in his regular position of flyhalf since coming back from his injury lay-off when DHL Western Province visit Bloemfontein on Wednesday for what for the Streeptruie is a critically important Carling Currie Cup match.
WP and their opponents, the Toyota Cheetahs, are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum at present, with the Cheetahs leading the log after four games and Province listing quite badly off the pace 12 points behind them in fifth position.
Of course, you only have to make it into the top four to make the semifinals in the Currie Cup, so it is by no means a lost cause for WP, but coach Jerome Paarwater will be desperate for a win after his team was a bit unlucky the last time they visited central South Africa to play the Tafel Lager Griquas in Kimberley.
Paarwater has a youthful halfback combination, with Wolhuter being teamed up with Thomas Bursey, and it will be interesting to see how they go against the experienced and in-form Cheetahs on their home field. Wolhuter, then just 19, played well for the Stormers when he made his debut last season but then suffered an horrific injury that ruled him out for nine months.
Stormers head coach John Dobson has said that he’d prefer Wolhuter to get an extended run at Currie Cup level before being exposed to the United Rugby Championship or some other form of senior rugby as he felt he might have been guilty of exposing the youngster by pushing him too fast.
That is why Tim Swiel was on the bench for the Stormers when they beat Zebre Parma in their most recent URC match. Swiel will get additional game-time by playing off the bench in Bloemfontein too, and the Cheetahs might well have not forgotten the penalty Swiel kicked after the hooter to effectively knock them out of last year’s Currie Cup race.
Wolhuter has started for WP at fullback in the Currie Cup but this will be the first time he does so with the No 10 on his back.
In addition to halfback, there are a number of changes to the side that lost narrowly to Griquas, with captain Nama Xaba being joined in the loose trio by Marcel Theunissen, who should excel on the firm and fast Toyota Stadium surface. Cornel Smit is joined by Mnbombo Zwelendaba in the midfield this week, but Rikus Pretorius, who made his own return from injury by playing the second half of the Stormers’ 55-7 win over Zebre, is on the bench.
Tristan Leyds makes his return from injury to start at fullback for Wolhuter, with Sergeal Petersen moving to wing. Angelo Davids is on the other wing, while given the injury that ended Andre-Hugo Venter’s outing against Zebre the other night, JJ Kotze’s return from injury to take Chad Solomons’ place at hooker is timely. Solomons is presumably going to be part of the Stormers match day squad for their URC clash with Cardiff at DHL Stadium on Sunday.
It has been three week’s since WP last played as they had a bye in the last round so it will be interesting to see how they go in a match that kicks off at 17.45 on Wednesday.
DHL Western Province team:Tristan Leyds, Sergeal Petersen, Mnombo Zwelendaba, Cornel Smit, Angelo Davids, Kade Wolhuter, Thomas Bursey, Keke Morabe, Marcel Theunissen, Nama Xaba (captain), Ben-Jason Dixon, Connor Evans, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, JJ Kotze, Kwenzo Blose.
Replacements:Lukhanyo Vokozela, Leon Lyons, Corne Weilbach, Simon Miller, Roelof Smit, Godlen Masimla, Timothy Swiel, Rikus Pretorius.