Bulls hooker tour with WP
Bulls hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi and Pumas prop Vincent Koch are among the newcomers in the Western Province squad for a short tour to England.
The 24-man squad will leave Cape Town for London on Thursday, as the Currie Cup champions get set to take on top English club Saracens on Sunday.
WP won their second Currie Cup title in three years less than two weeks ago and they are now preparing to face up to last season's European Cup and Premiership runners-up on their home turf at Allianz Park in North London.
The team will be captained by regular skipper Juan de Jongh, who featured in the Barbarians midfield during their 36-40 loss to Australia in a thrilling match at Twickenham last Saturday.
Sixteen members of the victorious WP matchday squad from two Saturdays ago will make the trip to take on Saracens – with new forward signings Mbongeni Mbonambi, Vincent Koch and Wilco Louw joining the likes of Oliver Kebble, Jurie van Vuuren, Dillyn Leyds, Pat Howard and EW Viljoen in the selection mix.
De Jongh and forward Michael Rhodes are still on tour with the Barbarians and will join up with their teammates in London later this week.
However, Springbok tourists Nizaam Carr and Seabelo Senatla are currently abroad with the senior national squad and thus not available for this trip.
Another name missing from the touring group is fleet-footed fullback Cheslin Kolbe.
Kolbe is being rested as part of an agreement with SA Rugby, which will see him represent his country at two upcoming IRB Sevens tournaments – in Dubai and Port Elizabeth in early December – before rejoining the Stormers for a full pre-season campaign ahead of the 2015 Super Rugby season.
"This really is an exciting opportunity for WP, to take our brand to London and for our players to experience Northern Hemisphere weather conditions at this time of the year, different law interpretations and, of course, to go up against different [overseas] opposition," WP coach Allister Coetzee said.
"It's the perfect way to end off a good year for Western Province and we're all looking forward to Sunday's match against a very good Saracens team, which, over the past few seasons, has consistently been one of the top performing outfits in England and Europe."
The Province matchday squad will be announced on Friday.
Western Province squad: Manuel Carizza, Demetri Catrakilis, Kurt Coleman, Juan de Jongh (captain), Rynhardt Elstadt, Gerbrandt Grobler, Nic Groom, Pat Howard, Oliver Kebble, Jean Kleyn, Vincent Koch, Dillyn Leyds, Wilco Louw, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Michael Rhodes, Louis Schreuder, Jaco Taute, Michael van der Spuy, Jurie van Vuuren, Kobus van Wyk, Alistair Vermaak, EW Viljoen.
Date: Sunday, November 9
Venue: Allianz Park, London
Kick-off: 13.00 (13.00 GMT; 15.00 SA time)
Referee: TBC
