Rosslee's Currie Cup trial
Ikeys stalwart Matt Rosslee – the leading points-scorer in the history of the Varsity Cup – could secure himself a Currie Cup contract with Griquas this season.
Rosslee will start at inside centre for Griquas against the SWD Eagles in a pre-season friendly in Mossel Bay on Friday and a good performance could see him land a deal with the ‘Peacock Blues’ on a more permanent basis.
The hard-running inside back – a fixture for UCT in the Varsity Cup since 2008 – looks set to make the permanent move from flyhalf to inside centre this season and he will play alongside Super 14 flyhalf Naas Olivier for Griquas on Friday.
Rosslee is not the only former Varsity Cup star in the mix and he will be joined in the Griquas starting XV by Wesley Wilkins, who – of course – captained the Maties to glory in the 2008 and 2009 Varsity Cups.
No.6 flanker Wilkins (a ‘fetcher’ flanker) missed out on the inaugural final – against UCT in 2008 – with an ankle injury, but led the Men in Maroon to victory over Pukke the following year.
Wilkins is in his second season in Kimberley, having joined Griquas after last year’s Varsity Cup along with a host of other Stellenbosch players – including halfbacks Donald Stevens and Coenie van Wyk, who have since moved on. (Stevens is now at the Elephants in PE and Van Wyk is training with Boland.)
Meanwhile, another UCT Varsity Cup player, loosehead prop Ash Wells, is also on trial in Kimberley – but will not feature in Friday’s clash.
The Griquas team: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Dewald Pretorius, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Matt Rosslee, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Naas Olivier (captain), 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Wesley Wilkins, 5 Cecil Kemp, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Albertus Buckle, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Was Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Gerhard Human, 20 Warren Malgas, 21 Richard Lawson, 22 Rudi Vogt.
Date: Friday, July 2 – 3pm
Venue: D’Almeida Stadium, Mossel Bay
