WP turn to 'fetcher' Kitshoff
Namibian international openside flank Rohan Kitshoff will start for Western Province against Griquas on Friday in one of two changes to the side that beat the Blue Bulls.
In the only other change to the starting line-up for the clash at Newlands, scrumhalf Nic Groom gets another opportunity ahead of Louis Schreuder who will warm the bench alongside fit-again flyhalf Demetri Katrakilis.
Lock De Kock Steenkamp will again lead Province in the absence of injured skipper Deon Fourie, with Rynhardt Elstadt starting at No.7 in the absence of Michael Rhodes who has been suspended for one match following last Saturday’s clash against the Blue Bulls.
WP Under-21 stars, Rayn Smid and captain Josh Katzen (both of whom are loose forwards), will sit on the bench this week with Province opting for a five/two split between forwards and backs.
Flyhalf Gary van Aswegen, who was on the bench against the Bulls, is out for two weeks with a knee injury.
"The Currie Cup competition is far from over," said Coetzee.
"You don't want to be remembered as the team that beat the Bulls in Pretoria and lost at home the next. This is a good Griquas side and you have to respect them – this is the best possible side we have selected (for this match)," he added.
Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 De Kock Steenkamp (captain), 4 Taz Fuzani, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Michael Willemse, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Gerbrandt Grobler, 19 Rayn Smid, 20 Josh Katzen, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Demetri Catrakilis.
Date: Friday, September 20
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Assistant referees: Jonathan Kaplan, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
