Previews of this week’s Currie Cup Fixtures.

Vodacom Western Province will be going all out to secure their first victory away from home on Friday when they travel to Kimberley to take on the Absa Currie Cup log leaders – the GWK Griquas at 15h00. The Cape Town side has only suffered one defeat this season – to the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. The hosts will be aiming to claim their fifth consecutive win when they take on WP at GWK Park, which will be televised live on SS1 and CSN. Vodacom Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has made three changes to his starting line-up from the side that defeated the Platinum Leopards 48-7 at Newlands last weekend.Scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage returns to action after being sidelined due to injury, All Black lock Chris Jack also returns to the starting 15 in the place of Hilton Lobberts and JD Moller is relegated to the bench and makes way for Wicus Blaauw at prop.

“It´s going to be one tough game and we are the underdogs going to Kimberley given our past record,” said Coetzee.  “(But) we want to win away from home.     We´ve won all our games at Newlands, so this is another opportunity for us to build on that confidence with an away win.”  

GWK Griquas coach Dawie Theron has not tampered too much with his squad that defeated the Xerox Lions 23-19 in Johannesburg last Friday.    The only change up front will see Andries Kruger warming the bench in the place of Simon Westraadt, who is relegated out of the match day 22.

“At this stage, we are waiting to see what kind of game Vodacom Western Province will be playing and who they will be using in the backline,” said Theron.  “We are facing a running or a kicking game and we hope to be prepared for both on Friday afternoon.     We have some tough games at home during the next few weeks starting with the one against Province, so it´s important that we don´t lose any momentum at this stage in the competition.”

Meanwhile, the Vodacom Blue Bulls will be looking to secure their fourth win of the Absa Currie Cup when they take on the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday evening at 19h00.

Coach Frans Ludeke has selected Deon Stegmann and Pedrie Wannenburg in his starting 15 for the match played at Vodacom Park.    Stegmann and Wannenburg will join fellow loose-forward Jacques Burger with Dries van Schalkwyk moving to the bench. The other forwards at the side of Van Schalkwyk on the bench will be Bandise Maku, Frik Kirsten, Jaco Engels and Fudge Mabeta.    The Vodacom Blue Bulls coach has also kept his backline in tact as well as his tight five unchanged for Friday´s encounter.   “It is very important that our forwards are fresh and in the game for the full 80 minutes and therefore it was great to be able to select a five two bench,” said Ludeke.   “We all know that if you control things up front, you control the match and that is obviously one of our goals for Friday´s game.”

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has not made too many changes to his team for their clash with the Vodacom Blue Bulls. However, the Bloemfontein side will have a new captain in hooker Adriaan Strauss, who take over the captaincy in the absence of Hendro Scholtz, who injured his elbow during last weekend´s match against the Sharks.

The Platinum Leopards will also be aiming for their first win in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division when they host the Sharks at the Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace in Phokeng on Friday evening (19h00).

Two Leopard veterans, former captain André Swanepoel and lock Draad Linde, return to the starting team for Friday´s clash.

Swanepoel will don the Platinum Leopards jersey for the 72nd time and Linde is a veteran of 60 caps for the North West side. Linde replaces Rynard Landman at lock and joins Rudi Mathee in the second row. The only forced change made by Willemse is at fullback, with Russell Jeacocks replacing Jean Tiedt.

For the Sharks, Argentinean flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez will make his first appearance. The Pumas pivot will be partnered by scrumhalf Charl McLeod.

In the other Absa Currie Cup game of the weekend, the Xerox Lions travel to Wellington for their clash against the Boland Cavaliers at 15h30.

The hosts have only achieved one victory in the first four rounds of the Absa Currie Cup. That was in their first game, against the Platinum Leopards, and the Cavaliers will looking to use home ground advantage in their quest of a second win in the competition.

“Home matches are vital in the Absa Currie Cup. We had a disastrous result in Kimberley a fortnight ago but improved a lot against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at the weekend,” said Boland Cavaliers coach Deon Davids.

“Now we need to take a step up. We are playing in front of our home crowd and need to get back on the score board.”

Xerox Lions coach Hans Coetzee has made five changes to his side to face Boland. Jano Vermaak returns to the starting team after being sidelined due to concussion with Ruan Boshoff partnering Vermaak at flyhalf.

Doppies la Grange gets his first start of the Absa Currie Cup while and Shandre Frolick also returns on the wing. At lock Johan Snyman replaces Willem Stoltz, while American flanker Todd Clever and former UCT centre Pieter Engelbrecht are selected on the bench.

Teams for the weekend:

 GWK Griquas (not confirmed)- Riaan Viljoen, Dewald Pretorius/Egon Seconds, Jaco Bekker, Barry Geel, Bjorn Basson, Naas Olivier, Sarel Pretorius, Jonathan Mokuena (c), Davon Raubenheimer, Rohan Kitshoff, Jacques Lombard, Brendon Snyman, Ruaan du Preez, Ryno Barnes, Albertus Buckle.
Reserves: Andries Kruger, Steph Roberts, Heinrich Stride, Sean Plaatjies/Nolan Clark, Dougie Helmuth, Hanno Coetzee, Gavin Passens.

Vodacom Western Province – Joe Pietersen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Juan de Jongh, Peter Grant, Gio Aplon, Willem de Waal, Dewaldt Duvenage, Luke Watson (c), Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Anton van Zyl, Chris Jack, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wicus Blaauw.
Reserves: Deon Fourie, JD Moller, Adriaan Fondse, Pieter Louw, Conrad Hoffmann, Morgan Newman, Frikkie Welsh.

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Hennie Daniller, Danwel Demas, Corné Uys, Robert Ebersohn, Jongi Nokwe, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jean-Pierre Joubert, Francois Uys, Frans Viljoen, Johan Wessels, David de Villiers, Nico Breedt, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss (c), Wian du Preez.
Reserves: Richardt Strauss, Coenie Oosthuizen, Izak van der Westhuizen, Kabamba Floors, Tertius Carse, Louis Strydom, JW Jonker.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Tiger Mangweni, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Stefan Watermeyer, Marius Delport, Francois Brummer, Heini Adams, Pedrie Wannenburg, Jacques Burger, Deon Stegmann, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Derick Kuün (c), Gurthr� Steenkamp.
Reserves: Bandise Maku, Frik Kirsten, Jaco Engels, Fudge Mabeta, Dries van Schalkwyk, Francois Hougaard, Burton Francis.
 
Platinum Leopards – Russell Jeacocks; Jovan Bowles, Deon van Rensburg, Berndt Theissinger, Jan van Zyl; Clayton Durand, Michael Bondesio; RW Kember, Wilhelm Koch (c), André Swanepoel, Draad Linde, Rudi Mathee, Os van der Walt, Gavin Williamson, Divan Kotze.
Reserves: Pellow van der Westhuizen, Philip Lemmer, Rynard Landman, Bennie Adams, Theo van Wyk, Shuaib Samaai, Danie Dames.

The Sharks – Stefan Terblanche (c), Chris Jordaan, Andries Strauss, Riaan Swanepoel, Lwazi Mvovo, Juan Martin Hernandez, Charl McLeod, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel, Albert van den Berg, Steven Sykes, Wiehahn Herbst, Skipper Badenhorst, Patric Cilliers.
Reserves: Craig Burden, Dale Chadwick, Michael Rhodes, Jacques Botes, Ross Cronje, Guy Cronje, Waylon Murray.

Boland Cavaliers – Justin Peach, Deon Scholtz, Hein Myburgh, Dewey Swartbooi, Ernie Kruger, Elgar Watts, Marnus Hugo, Alwyn Bester, Carel Hoffman, Wendal Wehr, Rito Hlungwane, Nico Esterhuyse, Jane du Toit, Conrad Burke (c), Janro van Niekerk.
Reserves: Clemen Lewis, Johan Roets, Frikkie Spies, Zolani Mofu, Danie van der Merwe, Lionel Cornelius, Llewellyn Adonis.

Xerox Lions – Earl Rose, Shandre Frolick, Alwyn Hollenbach, Rouan Cloete, Henno Mentz, Ruan Boshoff, Jano Vermaak, Willem Alberts, Franco van der Merwe, Baywatch Grobbelaar, Johan Snyman, Nico Luus, Gert Muller, Hans van Dyk, JC Janse van Rensburg.
Reserves: Derek Harwood, Kevin Buys, Wouter Moore, Todd Clever, Chris Jonck, Pieter Engelbrecht, Dusty Noble.

My Superbru Tips

WP by 5+

Bulls by 15+

Sharks by 25+

Lions by 10+