Cape Town - SA Sevens star Steven Hunt has been drafted into the Western Province Currie Cup team to play against the Pumas in Witbank on Friday.

An injury to wing Danie Poolman opened the way for Hunt to make his Currie Cup debut and WP head coach Allister Coetzee said the Sevens flyer will be available until the SA Sevens squad starts training again in October.

"Danie is out with a shoulder niggle and it's time to give Steven an opportunity at Currie Cup level," said Coetzee, at Wednesday's media conference in Bellville.

"The changes that we've made this week were necessary and it is not intended to reflect that we are underestimating the Pumas.

"We respect them so much that we dare not play with players who are nursing injuries.

"The Pumas will be physical and we're hoping the changes will bring something different to our challenge.

"We expect the newcomers to front up."

Siya Kolisi (hamstring), Deon Fourie (nose), Wicus Blaauw (shoulder) and Pieter Louw (ribs) were not considered because of injury.

Hooker Tiaan Liebenberg will captain the side in the absence of Fourie. Skarra Ntubeni will provide cover at hooker on the bench.

Liebenberg did not train on Wednesday in an effort to nurse a knock he suffered in the Lions match.

Liebenberg said the team will look to build on the momentum which they picked up after ending the Lions' unbeaten run in the 2011 Currie Cup competition.

Teams:

Pumas:

TBA

Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Steven Hunt, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Nizaan Carr, 6 Nick Fenton-Wells, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg (captain) 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Substitutes: 16 Skarra Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Quinton Roux, 19 Tertius Daniller, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Marcel Brache 22 Danie Poolman.