A host of injuries has forced Griquas coach Hawies Fourie to select players out of position ahead of their final round-robin Currie Cup fixture against the Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
“Injuries have plagued us this year,” Fourie said.
“It is a problem with which any union struggles, but we’ve gotten the short end of the stick this year. It makes preparations very difficult and it disrupts any momentum we might have had.”
Locks Hilton Lobberts and Boela Serfontein, prop Steph Roberts, flank Carel Greeff and captain Wayne Stevens have all been ruled out with injuries.
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With Greeff and prop Janro van Niekerk the latest casualties, Fourie has included regular hooker Simon Westraadt at prop and lock Jonathan Adendorf in the flank position.
In the backline, PJ Vermeulen move to centre, with Jacquin Jansen coming into the starting line-up at fullback.
Griquas’ 45-25 victory over the EP Kings on Saturday has given them an outside chance of finishing among the top-six teams, pending results elsewhere over the coming weekend.
“We still want to finish in the top six and we need to put in a winning performance against the Blue Bulls if we want to achieve that,” Fourie said.
“It is going to be difficult, but now even more so in light of the many injuries. Hopefully we can produce some magic come Saturday.”
In the absence of Stevens, who has been one of Griquas’ stalwarts in the competition, flyhalf Francois Brummer will captain the side.
GWK Griquas: 15 Jacquin Jansen, 14 Danie Dames, 13 PJ Vermeulen, 12 Jonathan Francke, 11 Ederies Arendse, 10 Francois Brummer (Captain), 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Jonathan Adendorf, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Hugo Kloppers, 3 Maks van Dyk, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 Simon Westraadt
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Wesley Cloete, 18 RJ Liebenberg, 19 Burger Schoeman, 20 Rudi van Rooyen, 21 Dean Grant, 22 Doppies la Grange.