Western Province coach Allister Coetzee welcomes back Rynhardt Elstadt to his starting team for this weekend’s Currie Cup match against the Lions at Newlands, one of four changes to his line-up.
Elstadt has been out of action with injury over the last few weeks, but now reclaims the number 7 jersey, meaning a shift into the second row for Mike Rhodes. Rhodes displaces Taz Fuzani, who wore the number 4 last week but drops out of the squad altogether for the Lions game as Coetzee would rather keep Schalk Burger on his bench than include a third lock. Elstadt, after all, is more thatn comfortable in the second row if required.
Demetri Catrikilis is rewarded for his match-winning exploits last week and comes in to start at flyhalf for Province for the first time since last year’s Currie Cup final. Continued rotation at scrumhalf sees Louis Schreuder start ahead of Nic Groom.
Changes on the bench see Frans Malherbe come in for the first time; he’ll wear the number 16 jersey, implying that Deon Fourie becomes the de facto hooker cover. Ryan Nell also comes in to cover the outside back positions as Province revert to a 4-3 split on the bench for this outing.
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Michael van der Spuy, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Frans Malherbe, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Schalk Burger, 19 Josh Katzen, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Ryan Nell.
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lions by 10
@pete69 (Comment 1) : pass de dutchie to de left hand side
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Yeah, he is smoking his socks, Lions going to win it by at least 50
@Greg (Comment 3) : with Willie Britz and Chris van Zyl at lock? Yeah, sure.
You’re hogging….
A 10 all draw would be nice…any chances? haha