Former Free State loose forward Duane Vermeulen is finally back from injury and will start in the number seven jersey for Vodacom Western Province against the Leopards at Newlands this weekend.
Coach Allister Coetzee has made a number of other changes to the side, some injury-enforced and other rotational. Inspirational lock forward Chris Jack will play off the bench this week as former Bulls hothead Hilton Lobberts gets a start in the number 4 jersey. JD Moller will start at loosehead prop, with Wicus Blaauw on the bench this week. Also dropped to the wood is flank Pieter Louw, to make way for Vermeulen, while Pieter Myburgh has been omitted entirely.
Injuries to Dewaldt Duvenage and Sireli Naqelevuki have forced a reshuffle in the backs. Conrad Hoffman will start at scrumhalf, with Gio Aplon moving into the number 11 jersey vacated by the big (and useless) Fijian. Joe Pietersen returns to the side at fullback, while veteran Bolla Conradie comes onto the bench in the number 20 jersey.
Bright young prospect Juan de Jongh will continue in the number 13 jersey.
Western Province:
15. Joe Pietersen
14. Tonderai Chavhanga
13. Juan De Jongh
12. Peter Grant
11. Gio Aplon
10. Willem De Waal
9. Conrad Hoffmann
8. Luke Watson (C)
7. Duane Vermeulen
6. Francois Louw
5. Anton Van Zyl
4. Hilton Lobberts
3. Brok Harris
2. Tiaan Liebenberg
1. JD Moller
Reserves:
16. Deon Fourie
17. Wicus Blaauw
18. Chris Jack
19. Pieter Louw
20. Bolla Conradie
21. Morgan Newman
22. Frikkie Welsh
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Good side this. Go Bolla!!
I hope Tonderai scores a few tries and gets his confidence back.
JD Moller on the other hand needs to leave WP. What a useless player!
@wpw (Comment 2) : I’m REALLY liking Blaauw he tries his heart out. Brok’s also picked up his game, you can see the passion in the 2 of them.
Agree with you on JD, I expect there to be LOADS of penalties against him. He is NOT a scrummager.
@molly (Comment 3) :
He is NOT a rugby player!!
@wpw (Comment 4) : This Province side is such an anomaly, there are a lot of really good and potentially good players , and then there are the rest who just don’t IMO cut it. It is the backline which is surprising for me, de Waal over the hill, Grant should be playing fly half, bolla over the hill never heard of Jean de Jong so won’t pass comment, wings are too light and are always injured and Joe Pierson blows hot and cold, what has happened to the best backline producing province in our history??
Apologies, I see Conrad Hoffman is playing scrumhalf, any good??
@wpw (Comment 4) : WPW please check your comments wrt to JD Moller during the S14
@Whindy (Comment 6) : Yes, very talented, had to undergo a shoulder surgery and when he cam back in the VC didn’t quite look the business, maybe he was just rusty.
Al last I’m getting some players back from injury for FL this week.
De Jongh looked good last week. Still young, I think. Looks a good prospect.
@Whindy (Comment 5) : @McLovin (Comment 10) : de Jongh actually made the rugby365 CC team of the week.
@McLovin (Comment 10) : Must admit, he is a tough bugger.
@Pokkel (Comment 11) :
@Pokkel (Comment 11) : yeah, but they picked Dries Strauss last week… in fact, they didn’t even pick Deysel this week! Shows how much they know
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 12) : He must be thrilled that the best 13 in the world is coming to Cape Town.
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 7) :
Lies, all lies I tell you!!
I said nothing of the sort. What are we talking about now again??
@McLovin (Comment 15) : Is that confirmed yet??
@McLovin (Comment 15) :
I heard the Lions coach (Has Coetzee I think) say that Fourie is going nowhere.
There has been talks with WP but his contract expires in 2010.
Whatever!!
@Whindy (Comment 17) : Not yet. But apparently it’s 99.9% certain.
@wpw (Comment 18) : I’m sure the million ront they’re getting from Munster for the best 12 in the world should go a long way towards buying him out of his contract.
@Whindy (Comment 17) : all but. Apparently Olivier is basically a done deal as well.
Let’s hope the Sharks can snap up de Jongh… Although I’m yet to be convinced that he’s all that good
@robdylan (Comment 21) : I wasn’t at the presser on Friday but I spoke to someone who was and he said that Allistair juuuuust about confirmed Fouries move.
@robdylan (Comment 21) :
I reckon he is miles better than Dries Strauss though!!
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 12) : He made some impressive hits, and apparently isn’t the biggest guy either.
@wpw (Comment 23) : so are you, Wes…
@robdylan (Comment 25) :
Dude, i specialise at prop. 100% pure Cape Flets beef!!
@molly (Comment 24) :
He is 1kg lighter than the Sharks new saviour.
(that Hernandez bloke)