Photo Credit: Speedshots.co.za
There will be a rejuvenated sense of energy this weekend as the local rugby season switches to the next chapter with the opening round of the Carling Currie Cup. Tafel Lager Griquas host the Xerox Lions in Kimberley at 16h30 on Saturday and a bonus-point win could see the Lions moving into the 4th spot on the competition log.
With the entire Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked log being carried over into the Carling Currie Cup, the Vodacom Bulls will enter the competition with a four-point lead over DHL Western Province and the Cell C Sharks, who have each earned 19 points.
The Toyota Cheetahs trail by a further two points (17) and the fifth-placed Xerox Lions are on 12 points. But the real pressure will be on the Phakisa Pumas and Tafel Lager Griquas, who are at the foot of the standings on seven and three points respectively with Tafel Lager Griquas still searching for their first win of the season.
The Xerox Lions will be determined to close the gap between themselves and the top four teams on the Carling Currie Cup log with an eye on playing their way into contention for a semi-final spot later in the season when they face Tafel Lager Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
The Johannesburgers have a favourable track record against the Kimberley outfit in the Carling Currie Cup, losing only nine matches against them since 1997 – the last of which was in 2016. Tafel Lager Griquas, however, will draw inspiration from the fact that seven of those nine wins were on their home patch.
In fact, they went down by a single point against the Xerox Lions in the competition in Kimberley last season, while they also tested the Cell C Sharks and Phakisa Pumas thoroughly at home in the last few weeks during Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked.
Zak Burger will make his Carling Currie Cup debut as captain for Tafel Lager Griquas after leading the side in a number of Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked matches and will lead a number of debutants onto the field as coach Scott Mathie named his side to host the Gauteng visitors at Tafel Lager Park.
Mathie himself will make his coaching debut in the Carling Currie Cup, which saw Tafel Lager Griquas finishing third in the overall standings in 2019 before losing out to the Xerox Lions in the semi-final of the tournament.
Mathie would hope his side will break that losing streak and the inclusion of Johan Momsen at No 8 could prove a masterstroke. The former FNB Matie debuted for Tafel Lager Griquas at lock last year and played in six matches, but will start at the back of the scrum for the first time.
James Verity-Amm (fullback), Daniel Kasende (wing), Adre Smith (lock) and HJ Luus (hooker) will also play with the Carling Currie Cup logo on their shirts for the very first time, while Mathie also included the leading try-scorer from last year's campaign, Eduan Keyter, on the other wing.
Harlon Klaasen (centre, Boland), Stefan Willemse (flank, Phakisa Pumas) and Cameron Lindsay (lock, Phakisa Pumas) will also represent the Peacock Blues for the first time at Carling Currie Cup level.
Enver Brandt (wing) is also back in the match-day squad – on the extended bench – after a long injury lay-off that saw him miss most of the 2019 Carling Currie Cup campaign.
The Xerox Lions bulked up their forward pack with Springboks Jaco Kriel (flanker), Willem Alberts (lock) and Ruan Dreyer (prop) for their first match in three weeks. The only change in the backline was at fullback where EW Viljoen fills the void left by Gianni Lombard, who ruptured knee ligaments.
Kriel has been out of action since late October due to personal reasons, and his experience and physical presence will add to a forward pack which shows three changes from their last outing.
Kriel – who replaces MJ Pelser - joins Len Massyn (No 8) and Vincent Tshituka (flanker) in the loose trio, while Willem Alberts will partner up with Marvin Orie in a Springbok lock pairing, in place of Ruben Schoeman.
The other change among the forwards is at tighthead prop where Ruan Dreyer takes over from Carlü Sadie.
The only change in the backline is at fullback where EW Viljoen fills the void left by Gianni Lombard, who ruptured knee ligaments.
Roelof Smit, meanwhile, is in line to get his first run this season if he takes the field after being named on the replacements bench.
“We’re excited to take the senior guys to Kimberley this week,” said Xerox Lions captain Elton Jantjies. “We all grew up with the Currie Cup, so there’s nice energy around it.
“It is exciting starting with a new competition. The group has improved quite a lot, and there is an excitement to just get back out there and play again.”
Tafel Lager Griquas: 15 James Verity-Amm, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Johnathan Francke, 11 Eduan Keyter, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Zak Burger (captain), 8 Johan Momsen, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Cameron Lindsay, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 HJ Luus, 1 Mox Mxoli. Replacements (from): 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Andrew Beerwinkel, 18 John-Roy Jenkinson, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Carl Els, 21 Theo Maree, 22 Andre Swarts, 23 Enver Brandt, 24 Bandisa Ndlovu, 25 Ewan Coetzee, 26 Masixole Banda.
Xerox Lions: 15 EW Viljoen, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies (captain), 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Sti Sithole. Replacements (from): 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Ross Cronjé, 21 Dan Kriel, 22 Tiaan Swanepoel, 23 Jannie du Plessis, 24 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 25 Manuel Rass.