DHL Western Province may have suffered a blow to their chances of scoring the win they need against the Sharks to go to the top of the Absa Currie Cup log with the news that there is an injury cloud hanging over hooker Tiaan Liebenberg.
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The experienced Liebenberg has had a long-running problem with his back this season, and reports from the WP camp indicate this has been the case again this week as WP prepare for the game against their coastal rivals that will take them to the halfway point of the league phase of the season.
Should Liebenberg not be included in the team that will be announced at lunchtime on Wednesday, Scarra Ntubeni will wear the No 2, and WP won’t lose much as Ntubeni is a solid player.
However, Liebenberg was in inspired form in his 30-odd minutes on the field against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park last week and Province coach Allister Coetzee would no doubt want both of his hookers to be available against a Sharks team that has two capable players in that position in the form of Craig Burden and Kyle Cooper.
The latter made a big impression when he came on for the Sharks last week (before a yellow card spoiled it) and Coetzee knows the visitors will be looking to make a similar lift late in the game this week.
Charl McLeod was the other Sharks player to ignite the team as a replacement against the Bulls, and WP do have two good scrumhalves in Nic Groom and Louis Schreuder. So having both Liebenberg and Ntubeni would have meant both bases were covered.
Meanwhile it looks likely that Coetzee will reward Kurt Coleman for his solid performances at flyhalf against Griquas and the Lions by retaining him in the No 10 jersey for the match against the Sharks, with the fit-again Gary van Aswegen having to be content with a bench role.