DHL Western Province has been boosted by the inclusion of some experience for their Carling Currie Cup encounter with the Sigma Lions at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday.
Props Ali Vermaak and Sazi Sandi, lock Adre Smith and loose forward Junior Pokomela come into the starting forward pack, while in the backline Ebenezer Tshimanga will make his first start on the wing in a match that kicks off at 17h00 on Saturday.
Centre Rikus Pretorius makes his return on the replacements bench, having been sidelined with a concussion.
DHL Western Province Head Coach Jerome Paarwater said that he is looking forward to seeing what the players coming in can add up in Johannesburg.
“It is great to have some experience coming in for this game against what will be a motivated Sigma Lions side.
“We know that we will have to be at our best if we are to make it another win away from home, so we will need full focus for 80 minutes,” he said.
DHL Western Province: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Ebenezer Tshimanga, 10 Timothy Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Junior Pokomela, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Adre Smith, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Jacques van Zyl, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Keke Morabe, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 23 Rikus Pretorius.