DHL Western Province will be aiming to finish the Currie Cup Qualifiers on top of the standings when they face Namibia Welwitschias in their final game in Windhoek on Saturday.
DHL Western Province will be aiming to finish the Currie Cup Qualifiers on top of the standings when they face Namibia Welwitschias in their final game in Windhoek on Saturday.
Coach John Dobson’s team has lost just one of their 13 games this season, and are currently tied with ORC Griquas on log points.
ORC Griquas play the Leopards on Friday night, so DHL Western Province will know exactly what is required to top the standings when their clash with Namibia Welwitschias kicks off at 15h00 on Saturday.
There have been a number of changes to the team that registered their 13th victory of the season against the Border Bulldogs at DHL Newlands last week.
Up front loosehead prop JC Janse van Rensburg will make his DHL Western Province debut, while Jurie van Vuuren and returning captain Chris van Zyl will link up in the second row.
There is an all-new loose trio with Kobus van Dyk back at No.8 after making his DHL Stormers debut last week, and he is joined in the starting XV by flanks Rikus Bothma and Christo van der Merwe.
In the backline scrumhalf Justin Phillips gets an opportunity to start and will partner flyhalf Dennis Cox, whilst Johnny Kotze comes in at inside centre and will link up with EW Viljoen in midfield.
Dobson said that his team is going all-out to end the season on top of the standings after what has been a challenging but rewarding campaign.
“I am proud of what this group has achieved, that it is in our hands to win the Currie Cup Qualifiers, when we were playing for nothing other than the pride of representing this great Union.
“But then again, that is what we should always be playing for. We have come so far and this is game 14 in a row and it would be tragic to throw it away now.
“We know what we need to do and it is in our hands. But these players deserve it and will produce – we have used 52 players for various reasons and they have all bought into what we are trying to do.
“It has been a brilliant mix of professionals and amateurs, club players and DHL Stormers and we must just focus now on finishing the job,” he said.
DHL Western Province: 15 Grant Hermanus, 14 Khanyo Ngcukana, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Jonny Kotze, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Dennis Cox, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Christo van der Merwe, 6 Rikus Bothma, 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Mike Willemse, 17 Denzil Riddles, 18 Jacques Vermeulen, 19 Beyers de Villiers, 20 Eital Bredenkamp, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Scott van Breda.