EP Kings Vodacom Cup team announced for Griquas warm up match
A young Eastern Province Vodacom Cup side will take on the Griquas at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday night, under the captaincy of Stephan Zaayman.
The EP Kings will be playing their last warm up game against the Griquas, before coming up against the Vodacom Cup newbies, Kenya’s Tusker Simba XV team, in Cape Town on the 8th of March.
Vodacom Cup Head Coach, Mzwandile Stick, said while the team was a relatively young side, there was a good mix of talented players, including some players who had been selected from EP’s club rugby structures.
“We really do have a wealth of talent in the region, and it is great to see players coming through from our club structures, such as Kelvano King and Lance Louw, who are being integrated into our daily routines,” he said.
Stick said club players had been fully integrated with the squad activities for the past month, including gym sessions, rehab and various off field team analysis and strategy sessions.
“They are a part of the squad, they’re not just running out onto the field on game day,” he said.
Stick said the young make up of the team was also a great motivator for other talented rugby players in the region, still at school level, to consider staying in the Eastern Cape.
“This shows that young talented players are being given opportunities to play at a professional level, with the opportunity to develop their career in the province, rather than going elsewhere,” he said
Looking to the Griquas, Stick said he was expecting a tough, physical game.
“We know that when teams come to play against the Kings, they always have a point to prove and we know that this is going to be a very physical match. The Griquas have a number of good players and will play a very physical, hard game, but this will give our players a chance to measure themselves,” he said.
“With the EP Kings being promoted to Currie Cup Premier Division, the Griquas, will be looking to show that they deserve the eighth spot,” he said.
Stick said he was expecting a diverse game on Friday night.
“The youngsters like to run with the ball, but we have been looking at a balanced approach and have been working on various structures with the help of Barend Pieterse and Wayne van Heerden on Forwards and Tiger Mangweni on Defence, in between as well,” he said.
Stick, who was assistant coach to the U21 Currie Cup team last year, said he was looking forward to his debut season as Vodacom Cup head coach.
“I have always liked a challenge and like to face those challenges head on when they present themselves,” he said.
“This is something that I have been ready for, but it came a little sooner than I expected,” he said.
Stick said he really enjoyed working with the younger players, many of whom had played in the U21 side last year.
The team is:
1. Lizo Gqboko
2. Albe de Swardt
3. Pieter Stemmet
4. Kuhle Sonkosi
5. Brendan Hector
6. Thembelani Bholi
7. Claude Tshidibi
8. Stephan Zaayman
9. Kelvano King
10. Ntabeni Dukisa
11. Brian Skosana
12. Marlou van Niekerk
13. Sphu Msuthwana
14. Lance Louw
15. Masixole Banda
Replacements:
16. Tabbie du Plessis
17. Vukile Sofisa
18. Sanwell Jacobs
19. Siphesihle Phunguzwa
20. Dwayne Kelly
21. MC Venter
22. Eben Barnard
23. Brenden Olivier
24. Selwyn Davids
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