Elstadt, Willemse start for WP

Cape Town - Flank Rynhardt Elstadt and hooker Michael Willemse will both start for Western Province in their Currie Cup clash against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.

Elstadt returns after a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, whilst Willemse has been recalled from the Eastern Province Kings where he was on loan.

He was recalled due to injuries to WP hookers Scarra Ntubeni, Chad Solomon and Martin Ferreira.

Jurie van Vuuren starts at blindside flank, which means that Kobus van Dyk shifts to No 8, with Jan de Klerk in the starting line-up at lock in place of the injured JD Schickerling.

There are no changes to the backline that featured in last week’s 34-27 win against the Sharks at Newlands, although there are two new forwards on the bench in the form of Jacques Vermeulen and Eital Bredenkamp.

Western Province coach John Dobson said that it is crucial for his team to follow up their morale-boosting win against the Sharks with an improved performance in what will be a replay of last year’s Currie Cup final.

“We want to continue on an upward curve, which means that we will have to raise our game up in Johannesburg,” he told the WP Rugby website.

“We have lost a few players to injury, but the team is focused on going up there and doing whatever it takes to come away with a win,” he said.

Friday’s clash at Ellis Park is scheduled for 19:00.

Teams:

Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Selom Gavor, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ross Cronje (captain), Fabian Booysen, 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Lourens Erasmus, 4 JP du Preez, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Dylan Smith

16 Armand ‘Akker’ van der Merwe, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Andries Ferreira, 19 Cyle Brink, 20 Ruaan Lerm/Steph de Wit, 21 Ashlon Davids, 22 Howard Mnisi

Western Province

15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Werner Kok, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Kobus van Dyk, 7 Jurie van Vuuren, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Chris van Zyl (captain), 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Substitutes: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 JP Smith, 19 Jacques Vermeulen, 20 Eital Bredenkamp, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Scott van Breda