First start for Leyds as WP gears up for Griquas
NEWS: There are five changes to the Western Province starting line-up for their Currie Cup encounter with the Griquas in Kimberley on Friday afternoon.
Three of the changes come in the backline and two up front for the clash at Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley.
Tristan Leyds makes his first start of the campaign at fullback in a rotation with fellow Sevens star Shilton van Wyk, with Justin Geduld coming in at outside centre and Luke Burger set to make an impact in the second half in a similar move.
Jurie Matthee makes his first appearance of the season at flyhalf, having recovered from a concussion he picked up in the pre-season and replaces Kyle Smith in a planned rotational switch, with Smith now sidelined with a slight niggle.
In the loose trio, De Wet Marais makes his return from injury at blindside flank, and in the front row Mhleli Khuzwayo makes his first start of the season.
Junior Springbok props Oliver Reid and Herman Lubbe are both in line to make their senior debut from the replacements bench, while lock Adam de Waal and loose forward Aden da Costa, who have starred for the Western Province age-group teams are also set to make the step-up to the senior ranks.
Head Coach Labeeb Levy said that he expects to see his team take another step forward at what is always a tough venue to play at.
“There are a few rotations this week, and we are looking forward to seeing what the players coming in can add. Then we have some players returning from injury and a few really talented young players set to make an impact in the second half.
“We have seen some progress each week so far, and while it is always a challenge to travel to Kimberley, the challenge is now to put together an 80-minute performance and play the rugby we are known for against a good Suzuki Griquas side,” he said.
Western Province: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sako Makata, 13 Justin Geduld, 12 Damian Markus, 11 Jared Africa, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Asad Moos, 8 Louw Nel, 7 De Wet Marais, 6 Zain Davids (captain), 5 Gary Porter, 4 Alex Groves, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Mhleli Khuzwayo.
Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Herman Lubbe, 19 Adam de Waal, 20 Aden da Costa, 21 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 22 Luke Burger, 23 Shilton van Wyk.
Date: Friday, August 8
Venue: Kimberley Stadium, Kimberley
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant Referees: Stephan Geldenhuys, Daniel Canhenga
TMO: Ben Crouse
NEW IN THE APP: Official World Rugby Rankings hub! Compare team rankings side-by-side, with data going back 20 years.
Download the RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!
