DHL Western Province named for semi
DHL Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has named his team for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup semifinal meeting with the defending champion MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg (19h00).
Coetzee has made just four changes to the side that defeated the Free State Cheetahs last weekend, with lock De Kock Steenkamp, hooker Scarra Ntubeni and inside centre Marcel Brache coming in for the injured Springbok trio of Andries Bekker (toe), Tiaan Liebenberg (back) and Jean de Villiers (hamstring), respectively.
“Fortunately De Kock Steenkamp, Scarra Ntubeni and Marcel aren’t strangers to our systems,” said Coetzee. “They’ve always played well when given a chance and now they have a chance to start again.”
The final change to the DHL WP line-up sees Gio Aplon take over at fullback from Joe Pietersen, the latter dropping down to the bench where he is joined by Deon Carstens, Wilhelm van der Sluys and Damian de Allende who come into the matchday 22 this week for the trip to Coca-Cola Park.
Looking ahead to Saturday, and facing the defending champion Lions on their own turf, Coetzee added: “They are the champions and a few players who did not play against the Bulls are returning from injury. They’ll be even stronger (come this Saturday).”
The DHL Western Province team to take on the MTN Golden Lions is as follows:
15. Gio Aplon
14. Gerhard van den Heever
13. Juan de Jongh
12. Marcel Brache
11. Bryan Habana
10. Demetri Catrakilis
9. Nic Groom
8. Duane Vermeulen
7. Don Armand
6. Deon Fourie (captain)
5. De Kock Steenkamp
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Frans Malherbe
2. Scarra Ntubeni
1. Steven Kitshoff
RESERVES:
16. Deon Carstens
17. Brok Harris
18. Wilhelm van der Sluys
19. Jebb Sinclair
20. Louis Schreuder
21. Damian de Allende
22. Joe Pietersen
Referee: Marius Jonker
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