Unbeaten Armentum change two
Huis Armentum (Shimlas) coach Willem Kruger has made two changes to his matchday 22 for the Free Staters’ last encounter in the league stages of the 2009 Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships.
Armentum travel down to the coast of Port Elizabeth to lock horns with the Barbarians from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on Monday and both changes to their 22 are enforced adjustments to their bench.
Mynhardt van der Walt, who was originally named on the replacements’ bench to play against the Cobras last week, did not travel with the team to Cape Town.
He struggled with an injury and was replaced by Deon van Staaten who got some game time when he replaced No.8 Johnny Schoeman. However, Van der Walt is fit once again and he will provide loose forward back-up from the bench.
The other change sees JP van der Berg come in for Leon Pretorius. Armentum travelled with just 21 players to Cape Town as Pretorius was forced to stay behind in Bloemfontein due to eligibility issues. (He is not an actual resident of Huis Armentum.)
Both the Barbarians and Armentum are still unbeaten in the Southern group of the 2009 Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships, which should make for an exiting contest – especially with a home semifinal at stake for the winner.
Armentum – who have picked up two bonus point victories this season – currently head up the South log with 10 points, followed by the Barbarians on eight points.
The visitors will run out as favourites as they have been in sparkling form recently; recording a 61-19 win over Majuba (Maties) and a 48-10 victory over UCT’s Steinhoff Cobras. Their combinations look settled and the Barbarians could just find themselves up against it.
Huis Armentum: 15 Kobus Neethling, 14 Michael Bosch, 13 Morkel Hoffmann, 12 Jannie Myburgh, 11 Gareth Lourens, 10 Inus Kritzinger, 9 Enrico Schultz, 8 Johnny Schoeman, 7 Dedrik Pretorius (captain), 6 Niekie Potgieter, 5 Joubert Horn, 4 Michiel de Wet, 3 Ian Potgieter, 2 Toffie van Tonder, 1 Cobus Greeff.
Replacements: 16 Herman van der Watt, 17 Chris Mans, 18 Thys-Koch Burden, 19 Mynhardt van der Walt, 20 Pieter van Zyl, 21 Janneman Kotzé, 22 JP van der Berg.
Head coach: Willem Kruger
Assistant coach: Albert Parsons
Kick-off: Monday, March 16, 4.40pm, Xerox NMMU Stadium, South Campus
By Ruan Bruwer
