Burger leads Bok-laden Province
Schalk Burger will lead a Western Province team that includes five other World Cup Springboks when they tackle the Lions in the Currie Cup semifinal in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Burger, who played a 25-minute cameo off the bench in the win over the Pumas last week, will start against the Lions while the other World Cup Boks in the starting XV are Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana.
Juan de Jongh, the sixth of WP’s Boks, is on the bench.
Tiaan Liebenberg comes in at hooker in place of Deon Fourie and coach Allister Coetzee will be hopeful that he is able to give the team a harder edge up front after the hard time they were given by the Pumas pack last week.
“We were not happy with our set-piece last week (against the Pumas) but we’ve worked on it this week and we know we have to be accurate,” said Coetzee.
“Execution and accuracy is going to be important. The simpler we keep our play the better it will be for us.”
Coetzee said that although they were expecting a fierce test in Johannesburg he is confident that Province have the players to secure a spot in the Final next week.
“We are under no illusions about what we will be in for in Joburg but we’ve prepared well,” said Coetzee. “We are taking a good team up there and the players will have to taken ownership (of the task of beating the Lions).”
Hilton Lobberts drops out of the matchday 22 altogether, with De Kock Steenkamp taking his place at lock while Tertius Daniller will provide second row cover from the bench as the Cape side look to counter the mobility of the Lions pack.
Skipper Burger knocks the fit-again Pieter Louw out of the starting line-up in the only other change to the pack that played last week, while the only change in the backline sees Fourie (Jaque, that is) link up with his old partner De Villiers at the expense of De Jongh.
Burger said it was important for him and his fellow forwards to keep the Lions pack in check, otherwise his powerful backline won’t come into play.
“The forwards will have to take responsibility because it all starts upfront,” said Burger.
“If the forwards don’t lay a sound platform then the performance of the backs will be nullified. The forwards have a huge responsibility.”
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nick Köster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 JC Kritzinger.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Tertius Daniller, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Conrad Jantjes.
Date: Saturday, October 22
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
