Lock Jan Uys and centre Huw Jones are back from injury and will line up for the league-topping DHL Western Province Under-21 team in their final league match of the 2014 Absa Provincial Under-21 season.

The DHL Western Province U21s will play host to the Sharks at DHL Newlands on Saturday (kick-off 14h40), as the main curtain-raiser to WP-Sharks Absa Currie Cup match (17h05), and this game, too, will have no bearing on who tops the overall log in 2014.

The Province Under-21s have lost just once en route to once again securing first place on the log – only this season with a game in hand – which means that coach John Dobson has been able to phase in Uys and Jones, as well as giving opportunities to some exciting talent from just outside his immediate playing group.

The likes of WJ Strydom, Iewan Bartels, Jason Kriel, Monray Lingeveldt and Andy Huysamen will all make their first starts of 2014, offering plenty of pace and Sevens skill to the backline, with SP Ferreira pulling the strings from scrumhalf.

Up front, Justin Benn will skipper the side from the No.7 jersey, with fit-again Uys wearing the No.4 shirt and the likes of Tapiwa Tsomondo, Kobus van Dyk, Chad Solomon and Wesley Adonis earning deserved starts in the pack.

“This is obviously the position we wanted to be in. To not have to beat the Sharks to top the log – exactly like our senior team and we have followed their policy of expanding the capacity of our playing squad,” explained Dobson.

“But, more importantly, we have had a group of players who have trained so hard with us this season who are desperate to part of the team going into the play-offs and they deserve their opportunity. They want to show what he can do. That is why I am so excited about this game.”

Despite all the changes this week, from that side that beat the Cheetahs by 39-18 last weekend – to officially secure that top-of-the-log finish, Dobson is adamant that there is still plenty to play for at DHL Newlands on Saturday.

He told www.wprugby.com: “We will do our level best to beat them and I am convinced these players (selected) will make the most of the opportunity that they have been given.

“This is by no means a jaded B-team but a team made up mostly of Under-20 players, most of them amateurs through our club ranks, who want to put up their hands for a place in the team in the play-offs and in DHL Western Province’s future.

“They are hungry and motivated and will do their best. I am thrilled for a guy like (flyhalf) Andy Huysamen who has performed well for our Emerging and Disa teams. He is a case in point of our conduits working.

“We may not have a star-studded side,” added Dobson, “but we will give our all this week and it’s a feat chance to showcase why Western Province is such a special union.”

The DHL WP Under-21 team for Saturday (v Sharks, home) is as follows:

15. WJ Strydom
14. Iewan Bartels
13. Jason Kriel
12. Huw Jones
11. Monray Lingeveldt
10. Andy Huysamen
9. SP Ferreira
8. Devon Nash
7. Justin Benn (captain)
6. Tapiwa Tsomondo
5. Kobus van Dyk
4. Jan Uys
3. Deacon Chowles
2. Chad Solomon
1. Wesley Adonis

Replacements:
16. Michael Willemse
17. Liam Hendricks
18. Jade Kriel
19. Luke van der Smit
20. Jason Marcus
21. Jacques van Staden
22. Jason Worrall

Referee: Lourens van der Merwe