In stead of doing seperate Articles on every possible Currie Cup team, herewith a condensed version, team by team of the selected sides for this weekend.

GWK Griquas:

Exciting backline star Luzuko Vulindlu will face his former Sharks teammates when he runs out for Griquas on the wing in a Currie Cup Round Five match in Kimberley on Saturday.

In the only change to the Griquas starting XV, from that which beat the Lions last week, Vulindlu replaces the injured Jannie Boshoff (persistent hamstring problems) in the No.14 jersey.

The replacement bench shows two changes – Simon Westraadt comes in for Matthew Dobson as cover at hooker, while Richard Lawson comes back from injury in place of Matthew Rosslee as a utility back.

Vulindlu, a product of the Sharks Academy, showed himself capable of playing at the top level – having represented the Sharks in the 2009 Super 14.

Having appeared in the senior squad from relative obscurity, the big back was plucked from the relative obscurity of the KwaZulu-Natal Under 21 side to play Super Rugby before even playing Currie Cup rugby.

A strong back with a good work ethic he also represented the Sharks at Craven Week, Under-19 and U21.

Vulindlu, powerful, quick and incredibly determined, represented the Emerging Springboks in 2009 against the British and Irish Lions – when they played to a 13-all draw at Newlands.

In 2010, Vulindlu had another superb year with the Sharks, putting in some strong performances in both the Super 14 and Currie Cup competitions.

At the beginning of 2011, Vulindlu signed with French club Auch, but has decided to return to the country to try and make his mark with the men in peacock blue.

Griquas: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Wesley Wilkins, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 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.

Date: Saturday 8 September
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Kick-off: 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT)
Referee: Lesego Legoete
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper, François de Bruin François
TMO: Shaun Veldsman

Toyota Free State Cheetahs:

The Free State Cheetahs have named their Currie Cup team to play Western Province in Bloemfontein on Saturday which includes Heinrich Brussow.

Brussow returns to the Cheetahs line up after sustaining a knee injury in July and comes in to replace Frans Viljoen who drops out of the team.

Davon Raubenheimer who came on the bench last weekend moves up to the starting line up at No.8.

Andries Strauss is also named in the team ahead of Barry Geel while Hendro Scholtz is named on the bench.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller,14 Nico Scheepers, 13 Robert Ebersohn (Captain), 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 Schalk van der Merwe
Replacements: 16 Elande Huggett, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Hendro Scholtz, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Phillip Snyman, 22 Rayno Benjamin.

Vodacom Blue Bulls:

Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar included Tuks flanker Warwick Tecklenburg in his starting team to play defending Absa Currie Cup champions, the MTN Golden Lions, at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Nelspruit-born player will replace injured Deon Stegmann in the only enforced change to the side that lost badly to Western Province last weekend, although Francois Venter returns to the number 12 berth after he was a late withdrawal last weekend.

He was replaced on short notice by Jan Serfontein, who returns to the Under-21 squad.

Bongi Mbonambi and Jean Cook are included on the bench.

Mbonambi replaces Robbie Coetzee as back-up hooker after recovering from an ankle injury, whilst Under-21 regular Cook comes in to fill the spot vacated by Tecklenburg.

Both former Junior Boks will make their Currie Cup debuts for the Blue Bulls if they get a run-on.

Pienaar was frank in his assessment of the week ahead.

“We did not show up last weekend and paid the price. This weekend, we play the defending champions, a team that has shown tremendous courage and commitment in recent weeks. It is clear that we will have to be on a different level this weekend.”

The coach remains confident that the same group of players can redeem themselves.

“They do get another opportunity to make things right. Not everybody get a second chance in life and I am convinced that this group will use the opportunity. We have disappointed a lot of people, including ourselves last week, so have no option but to strike back hard.”

Blue Bulls: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Francois Venter, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Louis Fouchè, 9 Ruan Snyman, 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 Rudy Paige, 21 Lionel Cronjè, 22 Jürgen Visser.

DHL Western Province:

DHL Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has named his team for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein (19:10).

Coetzee has made just three changes – two of them injury-enforced – to the side that picked up a 42-6 win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls at DHL Newlands last weekend.

Nic Groom – a try-scorer last week – comes in for the injured Dewaldt Duvenage (broken fibula) at scrumhalf, whilst Damian de Allende will get his first Absa Currie Cup start in the absence of injured left-wing Ederies Arendse (shoulder).

The final change to the starting XV is part of coach Coetzee’s rotational policy, with Brok Harris earning a start at tighthead prop and Frans Malherbe moving down to the bench.

Joining Malherbe on the bench is SA Under-20 back Pat Howard, who comes in for De Allende; yet another DHL WP Under-21 player taking the step up to the senior ranks in 2012.

“We have a young team so we need to ensure that these players, despite their inexperience, are able to match that intensity from the Bulls game,” said Coetzee.

“The Cheetahs will be tough, especially in Bloemfontein, but we just want to keep improving in every facet of play – like we did last week.”

DHL 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 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie (Captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Deon Carstens
Replacements: 16 Steven Kitshoff, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Helmut Lehmann, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Patrick Howard, 22 Kurt Coleman.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan

The full DHL Western Province programme for Saturday 8 September:
Bye: DHL WP Under-19
Bye: DHL WP Under-19
19h10 – Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs DHL Western Province at Free State Stadium (Absa Currie Cup)

The Sharks

Sharks coach John Plumtree has stuck with the side that defeated Free State last week aside from one enforced change ahead of Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup clash with Griquas in Kimberley.

Steven Sykes took a knock to the ribs last weekend and he won’t play a role this weekend. Instead, Jandre Marais (pictured) will start, with his brother Peet replacing him on the bench. Aside from this one change to the starting line-up, Plumtree has also gone with a five:two split on the bench, favouring the forwards with the knowledge that Griquas will look to dominate physically.

Rosko Specman misses out and Brynard Stander has an opportunity off the bench this weekend.

As we approach the halfway stage of the tournament, The Sharks will look to go into the second round with a strong log position, a win on Saturday will entrench them firmly on top of the log.

Plumtree acknowledges the Kimberley threat, one that has seen The Sharks (and others) lose there before.

“I think there are some who talk themselves out of contention before they even arrive there, we have to make sure we embrace the challenge, we know what is coming,” he explains. “It’s at altitude, the ground is normally quite dry and it’s quite different to playing in the major stadiums, we just have to embrace all of that and get on with it.

“We know we will go through times where we are under pressure, whenever we play at altitude, we’re not quite there from a physical point of view for a period of time, so we need to get over that and attempt to play for 80 minutes because from all of our games at altitude, generally we don’t.

“We’ve also put a huge emphasis on our defence, it’s going to have to be excellent because Griquas love dominating the gain-line.”

The Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 S’bura Sithole, 10 Riaan Viljoen, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel (Captain), 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Monde Hadebe, 1 Dale Chadwick
Replacements: 16 Pieter Dixon, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Marius Joubert.

MTN Golden Lions

The Golden Lions have made eight changes to the team that lost to Griquas last weekend for this Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus.

The Currie Cup champions lost 32-42 to Griquas at home last Saturday so temporary coach Johann Ackermann has rung the changes for this weekend.

Jaco Taute returns from injury and is named on the bench while Johan Strauss has been ruled out of the match due to concussion and is replaced by Hendrik Roodt.

In the front row Callie Visagie replaces Banidse Maku at Hooker and Jacobie Adriaanse replaces CJ van der Linde at Tight Head Prop.

Cobus Grobbelaar replaces Jaco Kriel at Left Flanker and Michael Bondesio comes in to replace Ross Cronje at Scrum Half.

Ruan Combrinck replaces Anthony Volmink on the left wing and on the opposite wing Deon Helberg replaces JR Esterhuizen

Alwyn Hollenbach replaces Butch James at second centre and Elton Jantjies is named in the number 10 jersey.

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Wing 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 Prop JC Janse van Rensburg (Captain)
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Michael Rhodes, 19 Jaco Kriel, 20 Ross Cronje, 21 Butch James, 22 Jaco Taute.