Province turn to Howard
Powerful outside back Pat Howard has been named in the Western Province No.11 jersey for Friday's Currie Cup clash against the Eastern Province Kings at Newlands.
Howard replaces SA Sevens star Seabelo Senatla on the left-wing in one of four changes to the WP team that beat the Blue Bulls by 23-18 in a hard-fought encounter in Pretoria last weekend.
Twenty-two-year-old Howard scored Western Province's first try of the 2014 Currie Cup – when he played virtually the whole match against the EP Kings on August 8, after coming on as a replacement – and he will form a wing partnership with his WP Under-21 teammate from last year, Kobus van Wyk.
Senatla's absence, due to an ankle injury, is the only injury-enforced change this week – with scrumhalf Louis Schreuder, No.5 lock Ruan Botha (in his first-ever Currie Cup start for WP) and tighthead prop Brok Harris all earning their first starts of 2014 (along with Howard).
WP Under-21 utility back – and SA Sevens star – Justin Geduld has been named on the bench, in what would be his first senior cap, whilst squad vice-captain Pat Cilliers, lock Manuel Carizza and scrumhalf Nic Groom will all start on the bench on Friday.
"The Kings pushed the Lions in Port Elizabeth last weekend and [Lions coach] Johan Ackermann said as much afterwards," WP coach Allister Coetzee said.
"We're expecting a tough encounter, and we certainly won't under-estimate the Kings, which is why we've kept the changes to a minimum this week.
"Obviously we had to replace Seabelo, but the likes of Brok, Ruan and Louis will all come in with minimal disruption and Justin Geduld's addition is an exciting one – given that he is able to cover so many positions from the bench."
* Meanwhile, coach Coetzee revealed that in-form wing Senatla would be out for up to four weeks, after undergoing a scan on his injured ankle on Tuesday.
Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Pat Howard, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Stephan Coetzee, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Manuel Carizza, 19 Rynhardt Elstadt, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Justin Geduld.
Date: Friday, September 5
Venue: Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
