Griquas v Cheetahs: Smoke and mirrors
After initially naming and unchanged team earlier this week – for the Round Three Currie Cup encounter with central unions neighbours and franchise partners the Free State Cheetahs – Fourie on Friday revealed a starting XV that shows seven changes.
In fact his matchday 22 shows 14 changes – some positional – from the line-up initially unveiled this week.
It appears Fourie did not want Cheetahs counterpart Franco Smith to know what team will run out in Kimberley on Friday – as he only confirmed the real staring XV less than 12 hours ahead of kick-off.
Not one of the changes made to the team in Friday's announcement were injury related.
The only players that retained their places in the starting XV are centre Michael Van Der Spuy, wing Ntabeni Dukisa, scrumhalf and captain Tian Meyer, No.8 Carel Greeff, flank Hilton Lobberts, lock Jonathan Adendorf, prop Stephan Kotze and hooker Abraham le Roux.
The most significant changes see Riaan Viljoen move from flyhalf to fullback and Francois Brummer starting at No.10; Sevens Springbok Ruhan Nel moving from wing to centre and Sandile Ngcobo coming in on the right wing; Johan Wessels starting at flank ahead of RJ Liebenberg, Jaco Nepgen at lock in place of Hugo Kloppers and finally Steph Roberts at loosehead prop ahead of Danie Mienie.
Mienie, Kloppers and Liebenberg will all play off a bench that also features Martin Bezuidenhout, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Rudi Van Rooyen and Clinton Swart.
Griquas – revised: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Sandile Ngcobo, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Michael Van Der Spuy, 11 Ntabeni Dukisa, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Hilton Lobberts, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Jonathan Adendorf, 3 Stephan Kotze, 2 AJ Le Roux, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Danie Mienie, 17 Martin Bezuidenhout, 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 19 Hugo Kloppers, 20 RJ Liebenberg, 21 Rudi Van Rooyen, 22 Clinton Swart.
Date: Friday, August 21
Venue: Griquas Park, Kimberly
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Lesego Legoete
Assistant referees: Renier Vermeulen, Pieter Janse van Vuuren
TMO: Johan Greeff
