Maties delay team announcement
Stellenbosch University have not named their starting line-up for Monday’s Varsity Cup clash against FNB TUT at the TUT Stadium.
FNB Maties head coach Chean Roux has seven of his frontline players involved in a Western Province Vodacom Cup trial match on Saturday – ironically they are playing against a Stellenbosch selection – and that could affect his final selection for the TUT match.
A Maties source told varsitycup.co.za: “It’s a bizarre situation really… we can’t book any tickets for flights to Johannesburg as up to seven guys could drop out if they are selected for WP or if they pick up any injuries (on Saturday).
“Chean had nearly 30 guys at his captain’s run this week, as he has various scenarios to run through should any of those players drop out. It’s not the ideal preparation for a match – nevermind an away match in the Varsity Cup.”
Maties’ neighbours, FNB UCT, are in a similar position, with five of their players involved in Saturday’s trial match.
Ikeys head coach John Dobson has named two of those players, Tiger Bax and Dane Johnson, in his starting line-up for the NMMU game – but it remains to be seen if they will board the plane for Port Elizabeth on Sunday afternoon.
The WP Vodacom Cup trial teams (v Stellenbosch – Victorians):
Team A: 15 Hayden Groepes, 14 Wylie Human, 13 Dylan des Fountain, 12 Morgan Newman (captain), 11 Dane Johnson, 10 Joe Pietersen, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Jody Burch, 7 Pieter Myburgh, 6 Pieter Louw, 5 George Earl, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Andries Slechther, 2 Schalk Ferreira, 1 Denzil Riddles.
Team B: 15 Tiger Bax, 14 Chris Juries, 13 PJ Vermeulen, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Alshaun Bock, 10 Coenie van Wyk, 9 Liam Slatem, 8 Zandre Jordaan, 7 Burger Schoeman, 6 Cameron Peverett, 5 MZ Zito, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Eric Coetzee, 2 Pieter Wium, 1 Michael De Neuilly-Rice.
Reserves (from): Sidney Tobias, Jurgens Visser, Dabeon Draghoender, Charl Weideman.
Not considered due to injury: De Kock Steenkamp, Conrad Hoffman, Callie-Theron Visagie, Juan de Jongh, Coenraad Britz, Juson de Villiers.