Stonehouse surprises with teenager
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Tiaan Botes, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, will have the task of guiding the Pumas backs against Western Province at Newlands on Friday.
It will be teenage flyhalf Botes first match in the Currie Cup competition with his only previous first-class experience the 22 minutes he spent as a replacement for the Southern Kings against Connacht in March.
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has made seven changes to his starting line-up.
Both his halfbacks in the narrow win over Griquas last weekend, scrumhalf Ginter Smuts and Devon Williams, have been moved to the bench. They are replaced by Botes and Chriswill September.
Stonehouse also adjusted his loose trio. Darrien-Lane Landsberg comes in as blindside flank while Daniel Maartens moves to number 6. Captain Pieter Jansen van Vuuren starts at lock, partnering Le Roux Roets in the only unchanged combination up front, and Ignatius Prinsloo and Morgan Naude are the two new props.
Pumas: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Luther Obi, 13 Erich Cronjé, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Isbell Ruwellyn, 10 Tiaan Botas, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Darrien-Lane Landsberg, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Pieter Jansen van Vuuren (captain), 4 Le Roux Roets , 3 Ignatius Prinsloo, 2 Simon Westraad, 1 Morgan Naude.
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Wikus Groenewald, 18 Brandon Valentyn, 19 Ewart Potgieter, 20 Ginter Smuts, 21 Devon Williams, 22 Jacob Kleinhans, 23 Liam Hendricks.
Date: Friday, December 11
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Paul Mente
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Egon Seconds
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
