Deon Fourie to skipper DHL Western Province in ABSA Currie Cup

Aug 8 • General News, National • 3430 Views • Comments Off on Deon Fourie to skipper DHL Western Province in ABSA Currie Cup

Hooker Deon Fourie has been named as captain for the 2012 ABSA Currie Cup season. Photo by Mike la Grange /Rugby15.

Allister Coetzee, the head coach of the DHL Western Province team, has announced his squad for the upcoming 2012 ABSA Currie Cup season.

Built around a core of players that helped the DHL Stormers finish top of the 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby joint log, Coetzee has also included players who were part of the victorious Vodacom Cup side earlier this year.

In the absence of Springboks Eben Etzebeth, Andries Bekker, Siya Kolisi, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh and Bryan Habana, Super Rugby regulars Deon Fourie (who was announced as the DHL WP captain for the season), Tiaan Liebenberg, Brok Harris, Rynhardt Elstadt, De Kock Steenkamp, Dewaldt Duvenage, Gio Aplon and Joe Pietersen will provide much-needed experience.

At the same time, however, Vodacom Cup winners Don Armand, Tyrone Holmes, Nic Groom, Marcel Brache and Ederies Arendse, along with DHL WP Under-21 stars, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Wilhelm van der Sluys, JP du Plessis, Damian de Allende, Tshotsho Mbovane, Dean Hammond and Craig Barry, could get the chance to take a step up during the Absa Currie Cup season.

Jebb Sinclair (No.8) and Burton Francis (flyhalf), who were part of the 2012 DHL Stormers squad, have had their stays in Cape Town extended and will both be key members in Blue & White for the remainder of the 2012 season.

“Jebb (Sinclair) was part of our set-up during Super Rugby, but was unfortunately unable to play in the play-offs and Burton (Francis) was involved until the end,” said Coetzee.

“However, both Jebb and Burton (Francis) will now be staying with us for the duration of the Currie Cup which is a plus.

“Our loose forward injuries have been well documented, so having Jebb around is a big boost, and if you look at flyhalf there is Burton Francis, Gary van Aswegen, Demetri Catrakilis and Kurt Coleman so we have four quality flyhalves at our disposal.”

The DHL WP boss was under no illusions ahead of the 2012 Absa Currie Cup but he was relishing the prospect of getting stuck in – starting against the Sharks at DHL Newlands this weekend – especially with some new faces in the selection mix.

Said Coetzee: “We are coming from a high intensity competition (Vodacom Super Rugby) into the same kind of environment now.

“I think it is a very good thing for youngsters to understand the intensity that they will be faced with if they want to play at a higher level.

“We are hoping to give opportunities to players who deserve to be there and keep working hard. Some of those players did well in the Vodacom Cup, so hopefully they can take the next step into the Currie Cup.”

Loose forwards Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster are expected to return to action over the next few weeks, after picking up knee injuries during the Vodacom Super Rugby, whilst fullback Heinrich Steyl is back in training after suffering a serious leg injury during last year’s Absa Currie Cup.

2012 DHL Western Province Absa Currie Cup squad (38):

 

Forwards (19):

Don Armand

Deon Carstens

Tertius Daniller

Rynhardt Elstadt

Deon Fourie (Captain)

Yaya Hartzenberg

Brok Harris

Tyrone Holmes

Steven Kitshoff

Nick Koster

JC Kritzinger

Tiaan Liebenberg

Frans Malherbe

Siyabonga Ntubeni

De Kock Steenkamp

Jebb Sinclair

Wilhelm van der Sluys

Alistair Vermaak

Duane Vermeulen

Backs (19):

Gio Aplon

Ederies Arendse

Craig Barry

Marcel Brache

Demetri Catrakilis

Kurt Coleman

Damian de Allende

JP du Plessis

Dewaldt Duvenage

Burton Francis

Nic Groom

Dean Hammond

Berton Klaasen

Tshotsho Mbovane

Joe Pietersen

Louis Schreuder

Heinrich Steyl

Gary van Aswegen

Gerhard van den Heever

Unavailable because of Springbok commitments:

Andries Bekker

Eben Etzebeth

Juan de Jongh

Jean de Villiers

Bryan Habana

Siya Kolisi

Unavailable because of injury:

Schalk Burger

Nizaam Carr

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