A Springbok heavyweight has been named in the Western Province team to take on Griquas in a Currie Cup match in Stellenbosch on Friday.
Angelo Davids is also back from duty with the Blitzboks and on the wing for the game against the Kimberley team, which kicks off at 4pm at the Danie Craven Stadium.
In the only other backline change, Thomas Bursey starts at scrumhalf, forming a new halfback pairing with captain Tim Swiel.
There is a new lock pairing of Simon Miller and Ben-Jason Dixon, while Keke Morabe starts at the back of the scrum, with Junior Pokomela on the flank.
It appears that Hilton Lobberts, who earned two caps for the Boks in 2006 and 2007, will cover Miller and Dixon from a bench that includes fit-again hooker Chad Solomon.
WP head coach Jerome Paarwater said that his team is looking forward to playing in Stellenbosch. “It is fantastic for us to be playing out here at the Danie Craven Stadium.
“Our players are determined to make the most of every minute out there and show what playing in this jersey means to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Griquas coach Pieter Bergh has made only one change to his starting XV with Simon Westraadt replacing Janco Uys, who will move to the bench.
Western Province – 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Timothy Swiel (c), 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Ben-Jason Dixon, 4 Simon Miller, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Subs: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Shaine Orderson, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 23 Ebenezer Tshimanga.
Griquas – 15 Ashlon Davids, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Alex-Zander Du Plessis, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Sibabalo Qoma, 7 Hanru Sirgel, 6 Niel Otto (c), 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Johan Retief, 3 Janu Botha, 2 Simon Westraadt,, 1 Kudzwai Dube.
Subs: 16 Janco Uys, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Andries Schutte, 19 Cameron Lindsay, 20 Werner Gouws, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Christopher Hollis.
