Pukke turn to powerhouse Samaai
FNB Pukke head coach Rudy Joubert has bolstered his team for Monday’s must-win Varsity Cup match-up against the TUT Vikings, with the inclusion of Leopards Currie Cup winger Muhammed Shuaib Samaai.
Samaai, who tips the scales at a hefty 90 kilograms, had a strong 2009 Currie Cup campaign for the Leopards – scoring seven tries and troubling many opposition defences with his speed and power.
The Cape Town-born winger will line up in the No.14 jersey, with former UCT ace Dane Johnson missing out altogether, and he will form part of a new-look Pukke backline with the return of the Jacobs brothers, Ruan and Neill.
Ruan, at No.13, will form a potent centre combination with Wouter Watermeyer and their role alongside Neill – in the No.10 shirt – will be crucial against the Vikings as the Men from Potchefstroom look to keep the pressure on the second-placed Ikey Tigers who face the Maties in Stellenbosch in Round Six.
In other changes to the Pukke starting line-up – from the side that beat NMMU 31-24 this past Monday – regular skipper Dirco Rautenbach is unavailable, with ever-present hooker Stoffel Duvenage – who, ironically, started on the bench last week – returning at No.2 and taking over the captaincy in the process.
Francois Robbertse will start in Rautenbach’s place in the No.4 shirt, whilst loose forward Savvas Nel is back from injury and replaces Jan Rose in the No.6 position, with a fit-again Jaco Lötter able to take his place on the bench once again.
In the final change to the Pukke team, BG Uys will start at loosehead prop, with Dewald Coetzee dropping down to the bench.
The FNB Pukke team: 15 Theuns Kotzé, 14 Muhammed Shuaib Samaai, 13 Ruan Jacobs, 12 Wouter Watermeyer, 11 Johannes Seerane, 10 Neill Jacobs, 9 Andries Mahoney, 8 PJ van Zyl, 7 Siya Mdaka, 6 Savvas Nel, 5 Markus Fourie, 4 Francois Robbertse, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Stoffel Duvenage (captain), 1 BG Uys.
Replacements: 16 BW van Dyk, 17 Dewald Coetzee, 18 Thabo Molete, 19 Jaco Lötter, 20 Janis Terblanche, 21 Kempie Rautenbach, 22 G Luckan, 23 Martin Dreyer.
Head coach: Rudy Joubert
Date: Monday, March 8
Venue: Fanie du Toit Stadium
Kick-off: 6.30pm
Referee: François Veldsman
