Share

Griquas ring changes for WP

Johannesburg - Griquas coach Pote Human has made four changes to his side for their first home game in this year's Currie Cup competition against the Western Province in Kimberley on Saturday.

Human also made a number of positional switches to the side that lost a lacklustre game against the Blue Bulls in Pretoria last weekend.

Griquas have branded all their home games as a must win and the coach has opted to go with his strongest side possible.

Young Nick Schonert comes in at prop for Lourens Adriaanse, who was called up to the Springbok squad for their Rugby Championship clash against Argentina this weekend.

In the only other change among the forwards, Leon Karemaker comes in at No 8 in place of Burger Schoeman, who is relegated to the bench.

In a positional switch, Human has also decided to select Hilton Lobberts at the side of the scrum, with Jonathan Adendorf slotting in at lock.

"Nick is a young prop with huge potential and we look forward to him proving his worth," Human said on Wednesday.

"The absence of Lourens Adriaanse is a huge setback for us, especially at scrum time, but we have complete faith in Nick in that regard.

"We are also glad to welcome back Leon Karemaker, who after a long injury stint is ready to add value to the side."

In the backline, Marnus Hugo comes in at scrumhalf, after Jacques Coetzee struggled with the new scrum laws against the Blue Bulls.

Coetzee moves to the bench, while wing Rocco Jansen also gets his first start of this year's competition in one of two positional switches.

He covers for PJ Vermeulen, who moves to fullback in place of Gouws Prinsloo.

"Rocco is an experienced winger and one of the senior players in the side," Human added.

"We are happy with his fitness since recovering from a knee injury and know his presence will benefit the side. PJ is a versatile player that will cover the fullback position."

The coach has resisted the urge to include Griquas' newest addition, lock Rory Arnold, after the Australian joined the Kimberley side for the duration of the Currie Cup, but is still unfamiliar with some of the Griquas' structures, according to Human.

"Rory is a player with great talent, but he still needs to settle into the system and structures.

"We are approaching every game in the Currie Cup as if it is a final.

"Therefore it is difficult to take chances. The game against Province is one we can't afford to lose."

Teams:

Griquas:

15 PJ Vermeulen, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 JP Nel, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Hilton Lobberts, 6 Carel Greeff, 5. Jonathan Adendorf, 4 Jaco Nepgen, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 1 Steph Roberts.

Substitutes: 16. Matthew Dobson, 17. Brummer Badenhorst, 18. RJ Liebenberg , 19. Burger Schoeman, 20. Jacques Coetzee, 21. Du Randt Gerber, 22. Richard Lawson

Western Province:


15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Deon Fourie (captain), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Michael Rhodes, 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes: 16. Tiaan Liebenberg, 17. Brok Harris, 18. Gerbrandt Grobler, 19. Rohan Kitshoff, 20. Nic Groom, 21. Tim Swiel, 22. Ryan Nell


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE