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DHL WP U21 change back for Leopards U21

PUBLISHED: October 5, 2018


There are wholesale changes to the DHL Western Province U21 side to face Leopards U21 at City Park on Saturday.

Just three players are retained from the starting line-up that faced Eastern Province U21, for the final league fixture of the season, which kicks off at 11h30 on Saturday in Athlone.

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Flank Ben-Jason Dixon, lock David Meihuizen and flyhalf Joshua Vermeulen are the three players to keep their place in the run-on XV, as DHL Western Province aim to end the league phase of their campaign with five wins from six games.

Head Coach Jerome Paarwater’s team need just one log point to secure a semifinal place and can secure a home semifinal with a bonus point win by more than seven points.

Up front props Kwenzo Blose and Lee-Marvin Mazibuko start either side of hooker Daniel Jooste, with Meihuizen linking up with Jordan Sesink-Clee in the second row.

Captain Nama Xaba is back at flank and forms the loose trio along with Dixon and Zain Davids.

Jondre Williams is at scrumhalf, with Vermeulen at pivot and Lyle Hendricks and Cornel Smit in midfield.

Sihle Njezula and Nico Leonard are back on the wings, with Marko Labuschagne at fullback.

Paarwater said that his team will be looking to take some winning momentum into the play-offs.

“We have a job to do at City Park and will not be taking anything for granted against a tough Leopards U21 side.

“The team is feeling confident and we have prepared well, so hopefully that will translate into our performance this weekend,” he said.

DHL Western Province U21: 15 Marko Labuschagne, 14 Nico Leonard, 13 Cornel Smit, 12 Lyle Hendricks, 11 Sihle Njezula, 10 Joshua Vermeulen, 9 Jondre Williams, 8 Zain Davids, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Jordan Sesink-Clee, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Daniel Jooste, 1 Kwenzo Blose.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Wikus Groenewald, 18 Jesse Johnson, 19 Muller Uys, 20 Labib Kannemeyer, 21 Mujaahid van der Hoven, 22 Rayaan Lombard.