CAPE TOWN, April 27 (ANA) – There are two backline changes to the Western Province team to face the Border Bulldogs in the one-week-old SuperSport Rugby Challenge, at City Park in Cape Town on Saturday.
Following their 30-18 opening win against the EP Kings on the inaugural weekend in Port Elizabeth last week, Western Province will be on home turf at City Park, where there will be two regional club matches, played as curtain-raisers beforehand, on Saturday.
Justin Phillips gets an opportunity to start at scrumhalf, with Godlen Masimla on the replacements bench, in a rotational switch between the two Super Rugby scrumhalves, while the other change to the starting line-up sees Michal Hazner at outside centre and Harlon Klaasen providing midfield cover.
The forward pack is unchanged from the combination that started against the EP Kings, but the fit-again duo of prop Frans van Wyk and loose forward Eital Bredenkamp feature on the replacements bench.
Western Province coach John Dobson said that his team will look to build on their opening win against the EP Kings when they face a competitive Border side on Saturday.
“We know that we can improve in a number of areas, so it is nice to have some continuity in selection, as we try to achieve that.
“We were pleased how we ground out the win in some intense conditions, in front of a big crowd in Port Elizabeth last week. We will be looking to improve our ball retention and get through more phases against a physical Border side, who ran us so close at Newlands last year.
“Border were impressive against Boland last week and will provide a good test for us, so hopefully we can produce some good rugby in front of our home supporters at City Park,” he said.
In preparation for the 2017 Amateur Provincial Championship (South) tournament in Cape Town in August, the WP Rugby Football Union will hold two trial matches as curtain-raisers for the SuperSport Rugby Challenge clash.
Each of the four regional leagues, (Paarl, Northern, City and Southern regions) within the WP Club Rugby competitions will be represented.
The regional teams of the City League take on the Southern League team in the first match of the day. The Paarl League will face the Northern league in the main curtain-raiser to the Supersport Rugby Challenge match.
This is an opportunity for club players to compete for a spot in one of the two teams that will represent the union at the tournament in August, which should deliver some high-quality rugby for the crowd at City Park.
Western Province team: 15 Grant Hermanus, 14 Valentino Wellman, 13 Michal Haznar, 12 Scott van Breda, 11 Khanyo Ngcukana, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Justin Phillips, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Luke Stringer, 5 Eduard Zandberg, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Michael Kumburai, 2 Chad Solomon (captain), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen. Replacements: 16 Dean Muir, 17 Neil Oelofse, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Nyasha Tarusenga, 20 Eital Bredenkamp, 21 Godlen Masimla 22 Harlon Klaasen. – African News Agency (ANA)
