DHL Western Province coach Jerome Paarwater has made five changes to his team for Friday afternoon’s Carling Currie Cup clash with high flying Windhoek Draught Griquas in Stellenbosch.
WP took a more experienced team than has generally been the trend for them this season to Johannesburg for last week’s game against the Sigma Lions. Unfortunately they ran into a Lions team that was effectively that franchise’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship team and ended up being quite comprehensively beaten.
Some of those experienced players are not in the team this week and in some instances it gives an indication of what some of the Stormers selections for Saturday’s URC quarterfinal against Edinburgh might look like.
For instance regular captain Nama Xaba is not playing for WP this week, with Junior Pokomela continuing on the flank, which suggests Xaba will continue as the bench back-up to the Stormers’ ace openside flanker Deon Fourie. Junior Pokomela shifts from No8, where Keke Morabe makes his return, to play in Xaba’s place on the side of the scrum.
Godlen Masimla has made way for Thomas Bursey as the starting scrumhalf, although “made way” might not be an entirely description for Masimla will be on the bench for the Stormers the following day.
Another player who faced the Lions who is likely to be in the Stormers match day squad is lock Adre Smith. The highly promising Simon Miller plays this game in his place and obviously won’t be any stranger to Danie Craven Stadium as he was a key part of the Maties’ Varsity Cup campaign. Ben-Jason Dixon, on the bench in Johannesburg, comes back into the starting team as Miller’s second row partner.
Former Springbok Sevens star Angelo Davids returns for Ebenezer Thsimanga in another change at the back, while Cornel Smit continuing as the inside centre alongside Juan de Jongh is an indication that Rikus Pretorius is probably going to be among the Stormers replacements this week.
An interesting inclusion in the WP match day squad is that of veteran former Bok tourist Hilton Lobberts on the bench.The game kicks off at 4pm on Friday afternoon and tickets are available at just R50 from Webtickets.
“It is fantastic for us to be playing at Danie Craven Stadium and it should be an entertaining game,” said Paarwater after announcing his team.
WP are effectively out of the running for a place in the Currie Cup play-offs but there is a lot on the game for Griquas, who are currently third and can cement their play-off place with a win.
DHL Western Province team: Tristan Leyds, Sergeal Petersen, Juan de Jongh, Cornel Smit, Angelo Davids, Tim Swiel, Thomas Bursey, Keke Morabe, Marcel Theunissen, Junior Pokomela, Ben-Jason Dixon, Simon Miller, Sazi Sandi, Jacques van Zyl, Ali Vermaak.
Replacements:Chad Solomon, Kwenzo Blose, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Hilton Lobberts, Shaine Orderson, Bobby Alexander, Mnombo Zwelendaba, Ebenezer Tshimanga.