Hawies Fourie, head coach of the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, opted for continuity ahead of the final round-robin SA Cup match on Saturday, 9 May, against the Eastern Province Elephants.
The match kicks off at 3pm with the home side needing a bonus-point victory to secure not only a semifinal spot but an automatic Carling Currie Cup Premier Division qualification.
Duo Xavier Mitchell and Sauliegh Arendse will make their 50th appearances in a Sanlam Boland Kavaliers jersey. Mitchell made his debut for the Kavaliers on 29 April 2023 against the Leopards, while Arendse made his debut nearly a year earlier against the Valke on 2 April 2022.
Fourie and his coaching staff had the full complement of players to select this week's match day 23.
"Luckily, we did not have a lot of injuries after the [Airlink] Pumas game; it was a tough physical encounter," Fourie said. "But we have a full squad to select from."
One change and two positional shifts in the backline see Domenic Smit come in for Duren Hoffman, with Jayden Bantom shifting from fullback to left wing and Mitchell shifting from left to right wing. Hoffman will provide cover for the back three off the bench.
Arendse links up with captain Thurlow Marsh and Sibusiso Sangweni to form the loose trio for a second week running.
Seasoned lock, Marlyn Williams, pairs up with Jeandre Leonard in the second row, with Williams set to make his 92nd appearance when he takes to the field on Saturday. Midfield combination of Lunathi Nxele and Jurick Lewis, alongside halfback pairing of Chris Smit and Louis Schreuder, complete the backs for the Kavaliers.
The front row is rotated with Joshua Eras coming in for Sidney Tobias, with Dayan van der Westhuizen and Mthokozisi Gumede packing down on either side of Eras.
"We are rotating the front row again, trying to manage their load," Fourie said of the selection of this week's front rankers.
Tobias, Dewald Maritz, and Andrew Beerwinkel provide cover on the bench with Beerwinkel replacing Doctor Booysen, who misses out on selection. Michael Benadie and Kwanda Dimaza complete the forward cover on the replacement bench.
Veteran scrumhalf Chriswill September, along with young Thurlon Williams, are named on the bench, completing the match day 23.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Xavier Mitchell, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Jayden Bantom, 10 Chris Smit, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (capt), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Sauliegh Arendse, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Jeandre Leonard, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Joshua Eras, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede
Plaasvervangers: 16 Sidney Tobias, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Andrew Beerwinkel, 19 Michael Benadie, 20 Kwanda Dimaza, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Thurlon Williams, 23 Duren Hoffman