Absa Currie Cup teams receive Springbok boost
The return of several Springbok training squad members to their provincial teams has added an exciting dimension to the weekend’s round five Absa Currie Cup Premier Division action, which starts tomorrow evening in Pretoria.
Several Springbok training squad members have returned to their home provinces following the announcement of the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad last Friday.
Current log leaders, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, slotted Springbok prop Marcel van der Merwe into their front-row for their Friday evening clash in Pretoria against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, while also adding Springbok midfielder Jan Serfontein to their bench.
Free State coach, Franco Smith, has named Springbok loose forward Oupa Mohoje on the bench as Smith opted to gradually ease him back into Absa Currie Cup action. The team’s other Springbok training squad member, wing Cornal Hendricks, was not considered for this week. This encounter starts at 19h10.
Returning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will start at No 9 when the Cell C Sharks host the Steval Pumas on Saturday at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban. The Springbok halfback comes in for fellow Bok Michael Claassens, who has been ruled out with a lower back injury. Starting time is 17h00.
Johan Ackermann, the Xerox Golden Lions coach, included Springbok number eight Warren Whiteley in his starting team to face the Eastern Province Kings on Saturday in Johannesburg, and also handed the lanky loose forward the captaincy. However, Whiteley was withdrawn from the team after straining a calf muscle at training on Thursday.
Centre Howard Mnisi will now captain the side. Fabian Booysen shifts to the No 8 position, while Springbok Sevens star Kwagga Smith moves into the starting line-up at No 7, with Jano Venter moving onto the bench.
Springbok training squad members Scarra Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff will both start in the front row for DHL Western Province in Saturday’s clash against ORC Griquas at DHL Newlands (kick-off 17h05).
Ntubeni replaces Bongi Mbonambi at hooker, whilst Kitshoff comes in for Ali Vermaak at loosehead prop, with coach John Dobson making a total of five personnel changes to the starting line-up that went down 21-28 to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last Friday.
Burly André Esterhuizen a force in midfield
Burly midfielder Esterhuizen is considered one of the brightest prospects on The Sharks’ horizon since his try-scoring efforts as a 19-year old in the Absa Under-21 competition two years ago. It goes without saying that because of his bulky size, the big youngster is therefore hugely effective in the direct approach in midfield.
He made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for The Sharks last year and has since played a dozen more times for the Durban franchise. The hard running centre was one of the standout performers for the Junior Springboks in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship showpiece in Auckland, New Zealand, where the South Africans were edged by a single point in the final by England. This year, Esterhuizen and several other young promising stars have been thrown in the deep end of the famous Absa Currie Cup competition, and the Pumas will no doubt offer them another tough examination on Saturday afternoon in Durban.
Brief player profile of André Esterhuizen:
Date of birth: 30 March 1994
Place of birth: Potchefstroom
High School: Klerksdorp
Height: 192cm
Weight: 102kg
Position: Centre, wing, fullback
Playing career: Leopards U13 Coca-Cola Craven Week (2007), Leopards U16 Grant Khomo Week (2010); Leopards U18 Coca-Cola Craven Week (2011), Sharks XV (Vodacom Cup 2013), The Sharks U 19 and U19 (Absa U19 and U21 competitions); The Sharks (Absa Currie Cup 2013), The Cell C Sharks (Vodacom Super Rugby 2014), Junior Springboks (IRB JWC 2014, Auckland, NZ).
A brief round-up of the available team news:
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Springbok prop Marcel van der Merwe starts in the front-row and Springbok midfielder Jan Serfontein is a reserve. Serfontein comes in for Dan Kriel, who will return to the Under-21 team. Francois Hougaard is also back in the starting team after the scrumhalf missed last week’s win over Griquas due to personal reasons. He replaces Ivan van Zyl who moves back to the bench. Van der Merwe comes in for Werner Kruger, who is rested while a fit-again flank Roelof Smit gets the nod over Jannes Kirsten (bench). Meanwhile, Dean Greyling (knee strain) is replaced by former SA Schools captain Pierre Schoeman for his Absa Currie Cup debut.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Springbok loose forward Oupa Mohoje was named on the bench as coach, Franco Smith, opts to gradually ease him back into Absa Currie Cup action. The team’s other Springbok training squad member, wing Cornal Hendricks, was not considered this week. The only change to the starting team sees Elandre Huggett replacing Jacques du Toit at hooker, with the latter moving down to the replacements.
Xerox Golden Lions – Coach Johan Ackermann has used his rotation policy to make wholesale changes to the side which downed the Steval Pumas in Nelspruit last weekend. Amongst the forwards, Junior Bok Malcolm Marx and Julian Redelinghuys will start in the front row while MB Lusaseni is included at lock. There are five changes in the backline. Lohan Jacobs gets the nod at scrumhalf, while Jaco van der Walt starts at flyhalf. Anthony Volmink comes in at left wing, while Ruan Combrinck shifts to right wing to make way for Andries Coetzee who returns from injury this week at fullback. Stokkies Hanekom gets a start at outside centre.
Eastern Province Kings – The PE-based side suffered a double injury blow this week with the news that two of their playmakers were ruled out of action. Flyhalves Gary van Aswegen (knee surgery) and George Whitehead (knee injury) have been ruled out for the season and four weeks respectively.
Cell C Sharks – Veteran wing Odwa Ndungane is out with a rib injury and has been joined on the sidelines by scrumhalf Michael Claassens, who has a back niggle. Ndungane has been replaced by Wandile Mjekevu, while Cobus Reinach will start at No 9. Lourens Adriaanse, Khaya Majola, Jean Deysel and SP Marais are all unavailable due to injury. Hooker Kyle Cooper will play his 50th Absa Currie Cup off the bench.
Steval Pumas – Coach MJ Mentz drafted Springbok prop Vincent Koch into the starting front row, which means Khwezi Mona drops down to the bench. Prolific try scoring flank Marnus Schoeman is rotated with Jaco Brouwer, who will run on in the No 6 jersey. Hoffman Maritz comes in as outside centre and Jerome Pretorius shifts to the bench.
DHL Western Province – Apart from Kitshoff and Ntubeni, the other changes to the DHL WP starting XV see Nic Groom and Kurt Coleman team up at halfback, whilst livewire flanker Chris Cloete will start in the No.6 jersey with Rynhardt Elstadt filling in for Sikhumbuzo Notshe (shoulder) in the No.7 shirt. On the bench, meanwhile, Chris van Zyl is over his knee injury to slot in as the lock replacement, fit-again Jurie van Vuuren will provide loose forward cover and inside back Robert du Preez is set for his first taste of Absa Currie Cup action this season
ORC Griquas – Coach Hawies Fourie recalled flank Hilton Lobberts to the starting team to replace Johan Wessels, after the Springbok was on the bench last weekend against the Blue Bulls. RJ Liebenberg moves to No 7 flank, with the loose trio completed by the returning Carel Greeff at No 8. There are two changes to front row, with Stephan Kotze coming in at tighthead prop, while Martin Bezuidenhout replaces AJ le Roux at hooker. At the back Springbok Sevens player Ruhan Nel starts at left wing and Jonathan Francke replaces Michael van der Spuy in midfield.
The round five fixtures of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division are:
Friday, 4 September
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19h10
TV: SS1
Since 1996: P 37, W 21, L 13, D 3
Saturday, 5 September
Cell C Sharks vs Steval Pumas
Venue: Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 15h00
TV: SS1
Since 1996: P 21, W 17, L 4
DHL Western Province vs ORC Griquas
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17h05
TV: SS1
Since 1996: P 32, W 28, L 3, D 1
Xerox Golden Lions vs Eastern Province Kings
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19h10
TV: SS1
Since 1996: P 12, W 12, L 0
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