Province unveil new Currie Cup captain
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Western Province will have a ‘new’ captain when they start their Currie Cup campaign against the Lions in Cape Town on Saturday.
Flank Nama Xaba will captain Western Province against Lions.
The former Western Province Under-19 and Under-21 captain will lead the senior team out for the first time in a match.
It will also be the first Western Province match with a crowd since 2019, with 2000 fully vaccinated spectators allowed to attend according to government COVID-19 protocols.
Xaba is joined in the loose trio by No.8 Hacjivah Dayimani and the promising Simon Miller, while Adre Smith and Connor Evans both make their Western Province debut in the second row.
Up front experienced hooker Chad Solomon has props Kwenzo Blose and Lee-Marvin Mazibuko on either side of him.
In the backline, scrumhalf Thomas Bursey and wing Paschal Ekeji are also both on debut.
Bursey will link up with experienced flyhalf Tim Swiel, who has Cornel Smit and Leolin Zas next to him in the midfield.
Ekeji is joined in the back three by fullback Tristan Leyds and Angelo Davids.
Hooker Jacques van Zyl, loose forward Keke Morabe and outside back Mnombo Zwelendaba are all set to make their Western Province debuts from a replacements bench – which also features a fair amount of experience in the likes of Deon Fourie and Godlen Masimla.
Western Province: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Leolin Zas, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Paschal Ekeji, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Simon Miller, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Adre Smith, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 Kwenzo Blose.
Replacements: 16 Jacques van Zyl, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Keke Morabe, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Chris Schreuder, 23 Mnombo Zwelendaba.
Date: Saturday, January 15
Venue: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: AM Jacobs
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Local
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen
