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Cape Town - Western Province have spent their week wondering how they are going to squeeze six Springboks into five places for Saturday’s Currie Cup game against the log-leading Sharks at Newlands.
Province have to win the match to nail down second place on the log and gain home ground advantage for the second semi-final on October 16. The Sharks are already home at the top and can to Newlands without any pressure.
The Springboks will be back and the Sharks will benefit in the front-row (with Bismarck du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira returning), and in midfield (Adi Jacobs).
Province have flank Schalk Burger, scrumhalf Ricky Januarie, centre Jaque Fourie and wing Bryan Habana back in the mix.
Burger is an obvious selection and Januarie is likely to be used off the bench, but coach Allister Coetzee is spoilt for choice at outside threequarter where he has six Boks - centres Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh and Jaque Fourie, wings Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon, and fullback Conrad Jantjies - challenging for five places.
There has been some speculation that Coetzee might switch Jean de Villiers to flyhalf in place of Willem de Waal and, while that might spark an exciting backline, it would leave him without the most consistent goalkicker in Currie Cup rugby.
It seems more likely that De Villiers and De Jongh will retain their midfield positions with Habana and Fourie on the wing. Aplon would then switch to fullback in place of Jantjies.
Province’s problems are in the tight five where they have lost lock Andries Bekker, hooker Tiaan Liebenberg and prop Wicus Blaauw to injury.
While they have no Test caps among the tight forwards, the Sharks, if their locks are fit, could field five who have been involved with the Boks in the Du Plessis brothers, Mtawarira, Alistair Hargreaves and Steven Sykes.
The Sharks have this year, in both the Super 14 and the Currie Cup, beaten the Cape Town-based team by out-muscling them up front, and Province forward coach Matthew Proudfoot is expecting another massive struggle.
“It’s going to be physical. The Sharks have the same physical approach as the Blue Bulls. The difference lies in how they use the ball,” he said.
Sharks coach John Plumtree said he was taking no notice of results earlier this season.
“It really doesn’t matter what’s happened in past. It’s about what they can produce this weekend and it’s the same with us. I’ve been proud of way the Sharks have played this Currie Cup and the challenge is to go on and win the title.
“But Province are in the same boat. They lost one more game than us but it hasn’t been a bad Currie Cup for them and they will be in confident mood now they have been bolstered by their returning Boks.”
The starting line-ups will be named today and while Coetzee is considering Province’s backline options, Plumtree is waiting on fitness tests of a number of players.
The Sharks coach has the luxury of not having to risk players who are “banged up” and it is likely that flanks Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel and lock Steven Sykes will be rested along with front-row men Craig Burden and Eugene van Staden.
Plumtree also has number eight Ryan Kankowski available again after his week’s suspension.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 17:05.
Cape Town - Western Province have spent their week wondering how they are going to squeeze six Springboks into five places for Saturday’s Currie Cup game against the log-leading Sharks at Newlands.
Province have to win the match to nail down second place on the log and gain home ground advantage for the second semi-final on October 16. The Sharks are already home at the top and can to Newlands without any pressure.
The Springboks will be back and the Sharks will benefit in the front-row (with Bismarck du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira returning), and in midfield (Adi Jacobs).
Province have flank Schalk Burger, scrumhalf Ricky Januarie, centre Jaque Fourie and wing Bryan Habana back in the mix.
Burger is an obvious selection and Januarie is likely to be used off the bench, but coach Allister Coetzee is spoilt for choice at outside threequarter where he has six Boks - centres Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh and Jaque Fourie, wings Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon, and fullback Conrad Jantjies - challenging for five places.
There has been some speculation that Coetzee might switch Jean de Villiers to flyhalf in place of Willem de Waal and, while that might spark an exciting backline, it would leave him without the most consistent goalkicker in Currie Cup rugby.
It seems more likely that De Villiers and De Jongh will retain their midfield positions with Habana and Fourie on the wing. Aplon would then switch to fullback in place of Jantjies.
Province’s problems are in the tight five where they have lost lock Andries Bekker, hooker Tiaan Liebenberg and prop Wicus Blaauw to injury.
While they have no Test caps among the tight forwards, the Sharks, if their locks are fit, could field five who have been involved with the Boks in the Du Plessis brothers, Mtawarira, Alistair Hargreaves and Steven Sykes.
The Sharks have this year, in both the Super 14 and the Currie Cup, beaten the Cape Town-based team by out-muscling them up front, and Province forward coach Matthew Proudfoot is expecting another massive struggle.
“It’s going to be physical. The Sharks have the same physical approach as the Blue Bulls. The difference lies in how they use the ball,” he said.
Sharks coach John Plumtree said he was taking no notice of results earlier this season.
“It really doesn’t matter what’s happened in past. It’s about what they can produce this weekend and it’s the same with us. I’ve been proud of way the Sharks have played this Currie Cup and the challenge is to go on and win the title.
“But Province are in the same boat. They lost one more game than us but it hasn’t been a bad Currie Cup for them and they will be in confident mood now they have been bolstered by their returning Boks.”
The starting line-ups will be named today and while Coetzee is considering Province’s backline options, Plumtree is waiting on fitness tests of a number of players.
The Sharks coach has the luxury of not having to risk players who are “banged up” and it is likely that flanks Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel and lock Steven Sykes will be rested along with front-row men Craig Burden and Eugene van Staden.
Plumtree also has number eight Ryan Kankowski available again after his week’s suspension.
Saturday’s match kicks off at 17:05.
