DHL Western Province will host the Sigma Lions this afternoon @ 17h00 today in Cape Town in the last of the Round 1 fixtures of the 2022 Currie Cup. Both Unions selected youthful teams which should play open and exciting rugby to keep the two thousand spectators on the edge of their seats for eighty minutes.
The Lions should be the favourites, however, nobody will be surprised if Western Province win. The Lions should dominate the scrums with hooker Dameon Venter and captain Asanathi Ntlabakanye forming a formidable front row with Banele Mthenjane. Venter is one of the hard men of South African rugby should be the tip of the Lion's spear upfront.
Then for the "lip-lekker" battle of the loosies. The Lions have Emmanuel Tshituka, Mark Snyman and the exciting Jarod Cairns while Western Province have captain Nama Xaba, Simon Miller and ex-Lion Hacjivah Dayimani in their corner. Expect Nama Xaba to lead the battle on the ground, however, Miller and Dayimani will have to be at the top of their game to outshine Snyman and Tshituka.
Western Province might be a bit more experienced at the back, however, the excitement and speed that the Lions backs bring will make it an interesting battle. Tim Swiel at flyhalf for Western Province could/will be the difference between winning or losing.
Oll-n-Oll, as some of our countrymen will say "Excitement in Overdrive".
Flank Nama Xaba will captain DHL Western Province. Xaba captained DHL Western Province U19 and U21 and will lead the senior team out for the first time.
He is joined in the loose trio by No.8 Hacjivah Dayimani and the promising Simon Miller, while Adre Smith and Connor Evans both make their DHL Western Province debut in the second row.
Up front experienced hooker Chad Solomon has props Kwenzo Blose and Lee-Marvin Mazibuko on either side of him.
In the backline, scrumhalf Thomas Bursey and wing Paschal Ekeji are also both on debut. Bursey will link up with experienced flyhalf Tim Swiel, who has Cornel Smit and Leolin Zas next to him in the midfield.
Ekeji is joined in the back three by fullback Tristan Leyds and Angelo Davids.
Hooker Jacques van Zyl, loose forward Keke Morabe and outside back Mnombo Zwelendaba are all set to make their DHL Western Province debuts from a replacements bench which also features a fair amount of experience in the likes of Deon Fourie and Godlen Masimla.
DHL Western Province Head Coach Jerome Paarwater said that his team is determined to start their campaign with an energetic performance at home.
“We have had good preparations leading up to this game, working closely with the DHL Stormers squad, so we are looking forward to the challenge and to playing in front of a crowd again.
“We have a nice balance of youth and experience in the team, with four players in starting team making their debut and a few more on the bench, so it will be good to see what these combinations can do,” he said.
Tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye will captain the Sigma Lions. The talented prop forward leads an exciting team that boasts ten Junior Boks in the match 23.
Reacting to being handed the captain's armband, Ntlabakanye said Saturday will be a huge occasion for him.
“It’s a massive honour and privilege for me to be called upon to lead this group”.
"To be captain at a franchise that I've played for since I was U16 is a huge thing for me. I'm also lucky enough to have strong leaders around me who I can lean on during the game."
‘Asa’, who also boasts Vodacom United Rugby Championship experience, believes Saturday’s clash will be one his side will be up for.
"The focus this week has been about what we can bring to the table as a squad," explains Ntlabakanye.
"Western Province away has never been an easy fixture. We know they have a strong set piece and can be dangerous in open play but we'll ready for that."
Head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi:
“I’m quite excited for this group of young men. It's an opportunity for them to express themselves against the best the Carling Currie Cup has to offer."
"We are quite pleased with the side we've selected for Saturday. Most of them have tasted success in last year's U20 domestic competition, so as a management group we back them to showcase their talent, Nkosi concluded"
Weather: 23° Celsius with moderate wind and partly cloudy.
Prediction: The Lions by 5.
DHL Western Province: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Leolin Zas, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Paschal Ekeji, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Simon Miller, 6 Nama Xaba (captain), 5 Adre Smith, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 Kwenzo Blose. Replacements: 16 Jacques van Zyl, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Keke Morabe, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Chris Schreuder, 23 Mnombo Zwelendaba.
Sigma Lions: 15. Quan Horn 14. Boldwin Hansen 13. James Mollentze 12. Aidynn Cupido 11. Zeilinga Strydom 10. Vaughen Isaacs 9. Jurich Claasens 8. Emmanuel Tshituka 7. Jarod Cairns 6. Mark Snyman 5. Simon Dionisio 4. PJ Steenkamp 3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (c) 2. Dameon Venter 1. Banele Mthenjane. Substitutes : 16. Darnell Osuagwu 17. Heiko Pohlmann 18. Sibusiso Shongwe 19. Ruan Venter 20. Lunga Ncube 21. MJ Pelser 22. Nico Steyn 23. Tyler Bocks.