Maties & Ikeys stars in WP squad
A host of new faces have been named in the Western Province Currie Cup squad – many of whom are Varsity Cup stars from Stellenbosch and UCT.
With the Cape sides having contested the 2010 Varsity Cup Final (for the second time in just three years), the WP coaches have looked at those selfsame VC stars to fill the gaps left by Springbok call-ups this season.
Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Ricky Januarie, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon have all been named in the Bok Tri-Nations squad – giving the likes of Conrad Hoffmann (Maties – pictured), Tim Whitehead (Ikeys), Morgan Newman (Maties), JJ Engelbrecht (Maties), Tiger Bax (Ikeys), Johann Sadie (Maties) and Marcel Brache (Ikeys) – amongst the backs – an opportunity to press for regular Currie Cup game time.
Whitehead, of course, played Super 14 rugby this year – and Bax and Newman did last year – whilst Hoffmann, Engelbrecht and Sadie are no strangers to the WP set-up, despite not being Currie Cup regulars.
Utility back Brache, however, has basically come from nowhere after a series of stunning Varsity Cup performances for the Ikey Tigers and could now find himself donning the Blue & White of Province.
Up front, meanwhile, Maties Varsity Cup regular Buhle Mxunyelwa – a former Border prop – will be hoping to build on his Vodacom Cup appearances for WP, along with Stellenbosch teammates Callie Visagie and Rynardt Elstadt, whilst UCT’s Martin Muller will compete with Stellenbosch’s De Kock Steenkamp as the back-up locks to Anton van Zyl and Adriaan Fondse.
Both Muller and Steenkamp boast Super 14 and Currie Cup experience already and will the void left by Bekker’s Bok call-up.
“From a depth point of view, we will look to blood and develop a number of our younger players in this year’s Currie Cup, whilst retaining our core available group from the Super 14,” WP head coach Allister Coetzee said.
“Our systems are working well and I am very confident that we have players who will put their hands up.”
The Western Province Currie Cup squad (35): Wicus Blaauw, Brok Harris, JD Moller, JC Kritzinger, Hein van der Merwe, Buhle Mxunyelwa, Tiaan Liebenberg, Deon Fourie, Hanyani Shimange, Callie Visagie, Adriaan Fondse, Anton van Zyl (captain), Martin Muller, De Kock Steenkamp, Pieter Louw, Rynardt Elstadt, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter Myburgh, Yaya Hartzenberg, Nick Koster, Dewaldt Duvenage, Conrad Hoffmann, Louis Schreuder, Willem de Waal, Lionel Cronje, Paul Bosch, Tim Whitehead, Morgan Newman, Frikkie Welsh, Fabian Juries, JJ Engelbrecht, Conrad Jantjes, Tiger Bax, Johann Sadie, Marcel Brache.
* Meanwhile, Whitehead, Brache, Elstadt, Muller, Hoffmann and Newman will all line up for WP in their Currie Cup friendly against the Griffons on Friday evening.
Maties Varsity Cup star Charl Weideman has been named on the Griffons bench.
The Western Province team: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Fabian Juries, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Marcel Brache, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Rynardt Elstadt, 6 Pieter Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl (captain), 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements (from): Deon Fourie, JD Moller, JC Kritzinger, Martin Muller, Pieter Myburgh, Conrad Hoffmann, Lionel Cronjé, Morgan Newman.
