Dobson selection leaves nothing to chance
WHILE Western Province will be without their regular captain for their crucial Currie Cup clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday (4.30pm kickoff), there is still a strong Springbok flavour to the Cape side.
Siya Kolisi misses out on the team’s second-last regular game due to Covid19 protocols after his wife tested positive. He also withdrew from last weekend’s outing against Griquas at Newlands. Although he subsequently tested negative, the Springbok skipper was not named in the Province matchday squad to travel to the Free State.
With a tough encounter awaiting them at Newlands next Saturday against the Sharks, winning this game is non-negotiable for WP - currently second on the standings with 31 points - if they want to move closer to locking down a home semi-final, something coach John Dobson has repeatedly highlighted as a goal as it would serve as a proper send-off to Newlands.
Seeing as things are so tight in the top half of the points table (the Golden Lions are in third spot with 29 points, Sharks in fourth with 28, and the Cheetahs fifth with 26), bagging a bonus-point win is first prize as the race to the playoffs intensifies.
After their match against Griquas, which they won 34-17, the WP mentor went for consistency in his selections this week, making only one change to the team.
It is a decision that doesn’t really come as a surprise seeing as teams will, from now on, surely want to settle with the semi-finals fast approaching and some tricky fixtures lying in wait.
Lock David Meihuizen comes into the starting line-up in the only change for Saturday’s fixture, joining JD Schickerling in the second row.
The front-row duo of Scarra Ntubeni and Neethling Fouche return from injury to take their places on the bench, while loose forward Marcel Theunissen is also among the replacements.
Dobson said that the continuity in his selections will hopefully allow the team to build some momentum as they head into the business end of the competition.
“The continuity in selection this week will hopefully help us to build some momentum and play with some fluency,” Dobson said.
“We know that it will take an 80-minute performance in Bloemfontein this weekend if we are to come away with the result that we are looking for.”
Western Province: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Angelo Davids, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain) Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Ruhan Nel, 23 Tristan Leyds, 24 Leon Lyons, 25 Chad Solomon, 26 Ben-Jason Dixon