Like last week and probably the weeks to come a condensed version, team by team of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.

GWK Griquas:

GWK Griquas coach Pote Human has made only two changes to his side for their Absa Currie Cup encounter against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Kimberley on Saturday.

Griquas will look to consolidate after beating the Sharks in Kimberley last week, but they will be without two key players in Ryno Barnes and Luzuko Vulindlu.

In the first change, hooker Matt Dobson comes in for captain Barnes.

Barnes has been suspended for one week following a citing for the use of an elbow in the game against the Sharks and is unavailable this weekend.

“It is disappointing that Ryno got suspended, but we have to shrug that off and focus on the game against the Bulls,” Human said on Wednesday.

“Both Matt and Simon are good players who get the chance to prove their worth.”

The coach added that flanker Wesley Wilkins, who has been solid for Griquas since his return from a lengthy shoulder injury, would take over the captaincy this weekend.

“Wesley has impressed in every game thus far and has great leadership abilities, so we are looking to him to lead the side to victory,” Human said.

“We know it is going to be tough. It was tough in the first round in Pretoria and nothing has changed since.

“The Bulls are at the bottom of the log and will want nothing less than a victory.”

The only other change sees winger Jannie Boshoff replacing Luzuko Vulindlu, who has been ruled out with concussion.

GWK Griquas: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Wesley Wilkins (Captain), 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Matt Dobson, 1 Steph Roberts

Replacements: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Justin Downey, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Richard Lawson

Toyota Free State Cheetahs:

The Free State Cheetahs have named scrumhalf Tewis du Bruyn at fly half for their Currie Cup clash against the Golden Lions in Bloemfontein this weekend .

De Bruyn has replaced Sias Ebersohn who has been dropped to the bench for this weekend.

Regular scrum half De Bruyn has played Currie Cup and Super Rugby at flyhalf so the position is not entirely new for him although he does have limited experience in the position.

In the second row Francois Uys returns to the starting line up having served his two week suspension.

The extensive injury list means that former retiree Hendro Scholtz has been named in the team again although this week he is named on the bench.

Coenie Oosthuizen is understood to be nearing his comeback but misses this weekend and will most likely return to boost the Cheetahs for next weekend’s clash with the Blue Bulls.

The Cheetahs have also revealed that Andries Ferreira will miss the rest of the season after he had surgery on his knee this week.

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 Robert Ebersohn (Captain), 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Tewis du Bruyn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Hendro Scholtz, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 Schalk van der Merwe

Replacements: 16 Elandré Huggett, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Carl Wegner, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 Sias Ebersohn, 21 Phillip Snyman, 22 Rayno Benjamin.

Vodacom Blue Bulls:

Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made three changes to his backline to play Griquas in an Absa Currie Cup fixture Kimberley on Saturday.

Jürgen Visser, Ulrich Beyers and Rudy Paige will all earn starts at Absa Park, with only the scrumhalf starting a match for the first time this season.

They replace Clayton Blommetjies, Johann Sadie and Ruan Snyman respectively and while the first two are rested due to niggles, Snyman will play off the bench against the team he made his Currie Cup debut against.

Arno Botha was not declared fit.

“We are certainly up against it,” Pienaar said when he named the team in Pretoria on Wednesday.

“To prop up the log at this stage of the competition is not great and does not reflect the hard work we have put in. The reality is that we are playing against ourselves as well at the moment and are making too many errors at crucial times and aspects of the game. We have to work harder and play smarter and that is what we intend to do on the weekend.”

Vodacom Blue Bulls captain, Dewald Potgieter, admitted that a new mindset is now required.

“This is all about getting to the first objective of the season and that is to make the play-offs and put ourselves in a position to win the Currie Cup again. Looking at our efforts so far, we are not on track, so it will take a special effort of all to get there. Everyone needs to up their game and I am confident that we will see the work done on the training ground bearing fruit against Griquas, who will be very focussed on beating us.”

Blue Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Francois Venter, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Louis Fouchè, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Dewald Potgieter (Captain), 7 CJ Stander, 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Dawie Steyn.

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Cornell Hess, 19 Jean Cook, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Lionel Cronjè, 22 Jan Serfontein.

DHL Western Province:

DHL Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has named his team for Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against the Sharks in Durban with injury enforced change.

Tyrone Holmes returns in the No.7 jersey, after recovering from a shoulder injury, and he will relace Rynhardt Elstadt who has, in turn, been ruled out for three weeks with a rib injury.

On the bench, meanwhile, Tom Botha replaces Springbok squad member Frans Malherbe as the additional front row replacement and fit-again Joe Pietersen returns to the matchday 22 at the expense of youngster Pat Howard.

Botha is a former WP Under-21 star and a member of the Vodacom Cup-winning WP side from earlier this year. He will make his Currie Cup debut should he take to the field. Pietersen, of course, will return to action for the first time since Round One – also against the Sharks – a wrist injury having kept him out.

“This is a good Sharks side – even without their many Springboks. Their pack then (when we lost to them in the first round) was probably weaker than the one now – they’ve got Bresler back and Daniel too. Really, they’re a quality outfit across the board,” said Coetzee.

“Also, it’s an away game (in Durban), which is another challenge for us, plus we’ve not beaten the Sharks in the 2012 Currie Cup.

“Every game is important and tough, but we want to start the second round of competition better and we want to continue improving our game.

Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Damian de Allende, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 Deon Fourie (Captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Deon Carstens

Replacements: 16 Steven Kitshoff, 17 Tom Botha, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Helmut Lehmann, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Joe Pietersen.

The Sharks

The Sharks coach, John Plumtree has given the Captain’s armband for the rest of the Currie Cup back to Keegan Daniel after Daniel had to surrender the armband to Jean Deysel upon call-up to the Springbok squad a number of weeks ago, but with Daniel seemingly back from the Springboks permanently for now, is obviously available to lead The Sharks from hereon in.

Other changes to the team sees Tim Whitehead back at outside centre following news this week that Paul Jordaan is out injured, Rosco Speckman starts on the left wing with S’bura Sithole out injured too.

Cobus Reinach gets a start at scrumhalf and recent import, Pieter Dixon also gets a start at hooker.

The Sharks team is as follows:

Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Rosco Speckman, 10 Riaan Viljoen, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (Captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Pieter Dixon, 1 Dale Chadwick

Replacements: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Brynard Stander, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Marius Joubert, 22 S’bura Sithole.

MTN Golden Lions

The Golden Lions Rugby Union announced the MTN Golden Lions team to play the Toyota Free State Cheetahs on Saturday, 15 September at Free State Stadium, this morning.

There are no changes to the starting line-up that played the Vodacom Blue Bulls last weekend and there are three changes to the bench:

1. Ruan Dreyer replaces CJ van der Linde at Prop
2. Etienne Oosthuizen replaces Michael Rhodes who has moved into place of Jaco Kriel at Utility Forward

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Willie Britz, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco Van der Merwe, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Captain)

Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Etienne Oosthuizen, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Butch James, 22 Jaco Taute.