Captain Van der Wal back for Pukke
Inspirational FNB Pukke captain Willem van der Wal is back at No.8 for his team’s Grand Challenge meeting with Vaal Reefs in Potchefstroom on Thursday evening.
Van der Wal (pictured) and centre Wouter Watermeyer were both part of the SA Students Sevens team that took part in a tournament in France a fortnight ago and they both make a welcome return to the Pukke XV this week.
Nelis Nel, who captained Pukke in Van der Wal’s absence, moves to the side of the scrum to accommodate the return of Pukke’s Varsity Cup skipper at No.8, with Dirco Rautenbach – in turn – moving to the second row to cover for injured lock Grant le Roux.
Watermeyer, meanwhile, will line up in his favoured position of outside centre, with Trokkie de Kock at inside centre and Cecil Dumont back in the more familiar No.10 shirt.
* Pukke and Vaal Reefs met earlier this month in a first-round Grand Challenge fixture in Orkney, with the 2009 Varsity Cup finalists winning 22-8.
The Pukke team: 15 Barné Viljoen, 14 Willem Barnard, 13 Wouter Watermeyer, 12 Trokkie de Kock, 11 Johannes Seerane, 10 Cecil Dumont, 9 Andries Mahoney, 8 Willem van der Wal (captain), 7 Nelis Nel, 6 Savvas Nel, 5 Francois Robbertze, 4 Dirco Rautenbach, 3 Stefan Bezuidenhout, 2 Stoffel Duvenhage, 1 Jaco Koch.
Replacements: 16 Snoepie Coetzee, 17 Deon Koen, 18 Strand Kruger, 19 Jaco Lotter, 20 Chris Erasmus, 21 Wentsley Scott, 22 Bom Samaai.
Head coach: Rudy Joubert
