Three newcomers for Province
Western Province will kick-off their Currie Cup title defence with three starting debutants in the team to face the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.
Outside centre Pat Howard, left wing Cheslin Kolbe and lock Gerbrandt Grobler will all be starting at Currie Cup level for the first time.
On the bench props Alistair Vermaak and Pat Cilliers, as well as utility forward Michael Rhodes will play their first Currie Cup matches for WP.
Howard made three appearances – all from the bench – in last year's Currie Cup, whilst Kolbe, Grobler, Rhodes and Vermaak have all played in the Vodacom Cup competition for Western Province.
Cilliers, meanwhile, will make his WP debut after moving to Cape Town at the start of 2013.
Flank Deon Fourie will captain the team from the No.6 jersey, with 2013 Stormers representatives, Gio Aplon, Gerhard van den Heever, Damian de Allende, Gary van Aswegen, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Nic Groom, Nizaam Carr, Rynhardt Elstadt, Ruan Kitshoff, Rhodes, De Kock Steenkamp, Grobler, Cilliers, Brok Harris, Siyabonga Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff, all in the matchday squad.
WP coach Allister Coetzee said they are looking to unearth some new talent.
“North-South derbies are always big games and we're not expecting anything different come this weekend," Coetzee said.
"We're excited to be starting our campaign at home and we're hoping to have a big crowd at Newlands."
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Pat Howard, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Alistair Vermaak, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Michael Rhodes, 19 Ruan Kitshoff, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Berton Klaasen.
Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant referees: Lusanda Jam, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Deon van Blommestein
