DHL Western Province will be without hooker Scarra Ntubeni and fullback Cheslin Kolbe for this Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup meeting with the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands (kick-off 15h00).
Ntubeni has a calf muscle injury and Kolbe has bone bruising on his ankle, both having picked up injuries during DHL WP’s controlled 29-14 win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls this past weekend.
In some good news, however, hooker Michael Willemse is over his long-term MCL (knee) injury and is back at full training, as is centre/fullback Jaco Taute (groin).
***Starting at just R20 for standing room, with seats ranging between R30, R35, R40 and R50, match tickets for Saturday’s encounter can be bought at Computicket – either online (see our ticketing page, http://wprugby.computicket.com) or in-store – and also from Shoprite/Checkers stores and the DHL Newlands Box Office.***
The full DHL Western Province injury report (21/09/15):
– Fullback Cheslin Kolbe (bone bruising) will sit out this week, but he should be back in the selection mix next weekend (v Lions).
– At this stage, hooker Scarra Ntubeni (calf muscle) could be out of action for three weeks with his injury.
– Loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff has a small chest niggle. A call on his participation will be made later in the week (when the team is announced on Thursday afternoon).
– Flanker Rynhardt Elstadt might well be back this week, after being a late withdrawal from the team to face the Blue Bulls with a thigh injury suffered at captain’s run last Thursday. A call on his participation will also be made later in the week.
– Flyhalf Kurt Coleman will not be considered for selection this week, having missed the last two matches (Sharks and Bulls) with a groin injury.
– Star centre and 2015 squad captain Juan de Jongh (MCL – knee) is continuing to make good progress from his long-term injury and should be ready for a return sooner than anticipated, having taken part in a split field training session today.
QUOTES FROM DHL WP HEAD COACH JOHN DOBSON:
On DHL WP’s clinical 29-14 win over the Blue Bulls on Friday:
“There are still some areas we need to work on, our discipline and sustained attack in particular, but we took a step up against the Bulls. We’re still a work in progress, but I do sense that there’s a growing belief in the team.”
On hosting the Pumas at DHL Newlands on Saturday:
“They’ve had some good results against us in recent years – especially in teams I have coached at Vodacom Cup level, both this year and last year. There certainly won’t be any complacency for us, especially as we’re pushing for that home semifinal. It’s not all in our hands, but if we win every game it might just work for us, which means winning this game non-negotiable.”
On being without fullback Cheslin Kolbe:
“I always said, at one point, that Cheslin might need a bit of a break. I didn’t know my hand would be forced, but I certainly don’t think we’re weakening the team with Dillyn Leyds – who is a great footballer – expected to play at fullback and Kobus van Wyk bringing so much energy on the wing when he came against the Bulls.
“A back three of Leyds, Senatla and Van Wyk is a really nice back three and won’t change things too much for us – they’re all good in the air and they’ve done reasonably well with our wide breakdowns. I am happy with that balance, for sure.”
On his team’s injuries this week:
“Given where we are at this stage of the season, I think we need to be conservative with guys carrying niggles, so we don’t rule them out. A three- or four-week injury now could mean the end of the season, so we need to be careful.”
