GWK Griquas coach Dawie Theron will be hoping that his team continue their undefeated run in the 2009 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division when they host the Vodacom Blue Bulls at GWK Park on Saturday (15h00).

The Kimberley side, who is captained by Jonathan Mokuena and are currently on 23 points after five matches, are in pole position on the 2009 log. Theron’s team bravely held their nerve to oust Vodacom Western Province 33-32 last Friday and will be determined to repeat that performance at home against their Pretoria opponents.

“We have actually achieved nothing yet in this season’s Absa Currie Cup, but victory against the Vodacom Blue Bulls will go a long way in ensuring that we reach some of our pre-season goals later in the competition,” said Theron.

“I was very satisfied with the performance of the guys and the guts they showed against Vodacom Western Province last weekend and I can only hope that they carry on with that kind of confidence against the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday.

“Playing the Vodacom Blue Bulls is never easy and you always have to be at your best against them. But the guys believe in what we are doing, so we look forward to the opportunity of testing ourselves against them.”

For the Vodacom Blue Bulls, Gurthrö Steenkamp will start at prop while two more Springboks, hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle and fullback Zane Kirchner, have been selected in the match day 22 and could play off the bench. Tiger Mangweni will start wearing the No 15 jersey.

Steenkamp and Ralepelle have been released by Bok coach Peter de Villiers for this match while Kirchner is returning from a cheekbone injury. Emerging Springboks captain Dewald Potgieter is also back in the side and will wear the No 8 jersey.

Francois Hougaard will also start at scrumhalf in the absence of Heini Adams, who is struggling with an ankle injury.

“Dewald is back from injury and will perform important work for us as a ball carrier and defender,” said Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke.

“He is one of those players who are in the opposition’s face for 80 minutes and his skills at the breakdown will be much needed against the GWK Griquas.

“Pedrie (Wannenburg) , who played for a few weeks, was a bit rusty against the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, but he will be used as an impact player and is very effective in this role during the last 30 minutes. It will be nice to call on someone with the level of experience like him, towards the end of the match.”

Meanwhile Sharks coach John Plumtree has resisted the temptation to select Rory Kockott and Juan Martin Hernandez for the match against the Xerox Lions at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday at 17h05.

Kockott who has been struggling with a shoulder injury is replaced at scrumhalf by Charl McLeod while flyhalf Monty Dumond comes into the starting team in the place of Hernandez (ankle).

The Sharks forward pack include the likes of Ryan Kankowski (eighthman), Albert van den Berg (lock) and Deon Carstens (prop) who all boast international experience. Stefan Terblanche will captain the side in the absence of the injured Johann Muller. Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis, who has been part of South Africa’s 2009 Vodacom Tri-Nations campaign, has also been named on the bench for the Durban side.

“The Xerox Lions will provide us with another big challenge. They have quality in players like Willem Alberts and Jano Vermaak and it is a bit difficult to plan against them because they keep making big selection changes each week,” said Sharks technical adviser Deon Kayser.

“We can’t underestimate them, they’re a Vodacom Super 14 franchise and it is an away game for us. It is never easy against one of the bigger unions.”

Meanwhile Xerox Lions coach Hans Coetzee has made three changes to the starting line-up that defeated the Boland Cavaliers last weekend.

Dusty Noble replaces Shandre Frolick on the wing and Herkie Kruger is back from injury to start at flyhalf in the place of Ruan Boshoff. Up front Willem Stoltz replaces Johan Snyman at lock.

In Wellington, the traditional Absa Currie Cup derby will spice up rugby in the Cape when the Boland Cavaliers host Vodacom Western Province on Saturday at 15h00.

The hosts are in search of their second win in this season’s competition after going down 19-13 to the Xerox Lions last week, while Province outfit are aiming to bounce back to winning ways following their Kimberley defeat to the GWK Griquas.

Vodacom Western Province, who are currently in third place in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, will be determined to achieve maximum points against their neighbours to stay in touch with the competition log-leaders.

“It is important to get the full house of points against the smaller unions. But it is going to be a challenge for us in Wellington,” said Allister Coetzee, coach of Vodacom WP.

“But going to Wellington has been a banana peel all these years for us. We cannot go there and take them lightly. It doesn't matter how many players are injured in that Boland side. Whoever puts on that Boland jersey will come out and show us that they are ready.”

Meanwhile Andre Swanepoel will lead a weakened Platinum Leopards line-up in their match against the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in Potchefstroom on Friday.

The hosts will be missing several first-choice players such as regular captain Wilhelm Koch, who is out with a fractured toe, as well as winger Jan van Zyl (ankle), scrumhalf Michael Bondesio (concussion) and hooker Pellow van der Westhuizen (back), who are all out injured for this weekend’s match.

Flank Bennie Adams replaces Koch, Danie Dames comes in for Van Zyl, Theo van Wyk fills in for Bondesio and regular tight head Philip Lemmer also has to cover hooker off the bench.

The Bloemfontein side, who achieved their first win in the Absa Currie Cup last weekend after defeating the Vodacom Blue Bulls, will be aiming to achieve a win plus secure a bonus point for scoring four tries in Potchefstroom on Friday.

“Our season are by no means over, but it’s vital that we get the points against the Platinum Leopards on Friday,” said Vodacom Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske.

“We need to continue our momentum from where we left off against the Vodacom Blue Bulls and if we can score four tries this weekend and get the five points, we’ll be right back in contention.”

Teams for the weekend:

GWK Griquas – Riaan Viljoen, Egon Seconds, Jaco Bekker, Barry Geel, Bjorn Basson, Naas Olivier, Sarel Pretorius, Jonathan Mokuena (c), Davon Raubenheimer, Rohan Kitshoff, Jacques Lombard, Nolan Clark, Ruaan du Preez, Simon Westraadt, Steph Roberts.

Reserves: Andries Kruger/Rayno Barnes, Albertus Buckle/Zane Killian, Brendon Snyman/Heinrich Stride, Sean Plaatjies, Dougie Helmuth, Trompie Nontshinga, Gavin Passens.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tiger Mangweni, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Stefan Watermeyer, Marius Delport, Francois Brummer, Francois Hougaard, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques Burger, Deon Stegmann, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Derick Kuün (c), Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Frik Kirsten, Fudge Mabeta, Pedrie Wannenburg, Ruan Snyman, Burton Francis, Zane Kirchner.

Vodacom Western Province – Joe Pietersen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Juan de Jongh, Morgan Newman, Gio Aplon, Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage, Luke Watson, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Adriaan Fondse, Chris Jack, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wikus Blaauw.

Reserves: Deon Fourie, JD Moller, Anton van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Bolla Conradie, Paul Bosch, JJ Engelbrecht.

Boland Cavaliers – Justin Peach, Deon Scholtz, Hein Myburgh, Lionel Cornelius, Ernie Kruger, Elgar Watts, Marnus Hugo, Alwyn Bester, Carel Hoffman, Zolani Mofu, Rito Hlungwane, Nico Esterhuyse, Jacobie Adriaanse, Clemen Lewis (c), Janro van Niekerk.

Reserves: Harry Vermaas, Jane du Toit, Frikkie Spies, Andre du Toit, Danie van der Merwe, Mark Harris, Llewellyn Adonis.

The Sharks – Stefan Terblanche (c), Odwa Ndungane, Andries Strauss, Riaan Swanepoel, Lwazi Mvovo, Monty Dumond, Charl McLeod, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Jacques Botes, Albert van den Berg, Steven Sykes, Patrick Cilliers, Craig Burden, Deon Carstens.

Reserves: Skipper Badenhorst, Jannie du Plessis, Michael Rhodes, Keegan Daniel, Ross Cronje, Guy Cronje, Waylon Murray.

Xerox Lions – Earl Rose, Dusty Noble, Alwyn Hollenbach, Doppies la Grange, Henno Mentz, Herkie Kruger, Jano Vermaak, Willem Alberts, Franco van der Merwe, Cobus Grobbelaar (C), Willem Stoltz, Nico Luus, Gert Muller, Hans van Dyk, JC Janse van Rensburg

Reserves: Derek Harwood, Kevin Buys, Wouter Moore, Todd Clever, Derek Minnie, Pieter Engelbrecht, Ruan Boshoff.

Platinum Leopards – Russell Jeacocks, Jovan Bowles, Deon van Rensburg, Berndt Theissinger, Danie Dames, Clayton Durand, Theo van Wyk; RW Kember, Bennie Adams, André Swanepoel (c), Draad Linde, Rudi Mathee, Os van der Walt, Gavin Williamson, Divan Kotze.

Reserves: Philip Lemmer, Nardus Lombard, Anthonie Gronum, Ligtoring Landman, Jean Tiedt, Shuaib Samaai, Basil de Doncker.

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Hennie Daniller, Danwel Demas, JW Jonker, Robert Ebersohn, Jongi Nokwe, Jacques – Louis Potgieter, Jean – Pierre Joubert, Francois Uys, Frans Viljoen, Johan Wessels, Nico Breedt, Izak van der Westhuizen, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss, Coenie Oosthuizen.

Reserves: Richardt Strauss, Jean Botha, Waltie Vermeulen, Kabamba Floors, Tertius Carse, Louis Strydom, Philip Snyman.


Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar