Worries at hooker for WP

Cape Town - Hooker Bongi Mbonambi is in doubt for Western Province's 2015 Currie Cup opener against Griquas in Kimberley this Friday.

Mbonambi has a hamstring niggle and has been rated a 50-50 chance of taking his place in the team for Friday (15:30 kick-off).

With Scarra Ntubeni still at the Springboks, SWD Eagles hooker Marius Fourie has joined the squad to bolster WP’s hooking resources, while Sir Lowrians’ Charlie van Jaarsveld - who featured for the Vodacom Cup team earlier this season - is also back in the selection mix.

Western Province Under-21 hooker Chad Solomon picked up a slight neck injury against the Lions at the weekend and will not be considered for the senior team this week as he cannot train until Thursday.

Coach John Dobson has acknowledged that the injuries at hooker are disruptive.

“Since Super Rugby we have lost Scarra Ntubeni and Michael Willemse (injured) and then Neil Rautenbach is with the Cheetahs," Dobson told the WP Rugby website.

“Bongi, as I said, is in doubt, he’s 50-50, and you throw in Chad who cannot train until Thursday (with a Friday game) and we now have five guys out from since the start of the year.

“That’s why Marius and Charlie are with us at training. It’s a flashpoint at the moment (the crisis at hooker) and we are going to have to do some extra work lineout in a short week.”

Meanwhile, backs Dillyn Leyds and Johnny Kotze - both of whom had niggles during Currie Cup pre-season - are fit and will come into selection contention against Griquas.