STORMING MISSION
Masimla guns for Lions scalp
All eyes will be on the new halfback combination of Godlen Masimla and Tim Swiel as Western Province attempt to kick-start their stuttering Carling Currie Cup campaign into life.
Licking their wounds after a narrow 22-20 loss against the Bulls, the Stormers face a tricky assignment against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday (7pm).
WP coach John Dobson knows another loss would be a blow to his team’s aspirations of reaching the Cup play-offs.
Saturday’s other showdown sees the log-leading
Bulls hosting the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld (4.30pm).
There were some raised eyebrows when Dobson announced his decision to leave Springbok Herschel Jantjies out of his side to travel to Johannesburg.
Dobson said the decision was a pre-planned rotation of their scrumhalves with an eye to the future and playing in the European-based Guinness PRO16.
With Jantjies out, Masimla gets his first start, with Paul de Wet providing cover on the bench.
We have got three similar “scrumhalves which is nice for us in terms of our game model,” Dobson said. We haven t been giving “’ enough rugby to the latter two [Masimla and De Wet].
So it was planned two “weeks ago that Godlen and Paul would play this game. Paul and Herschel will play next week.
With Swiel wearing the Number 10 jersey, Damian Willemse has been moved to fullback to cover for the injured Warrick Gelant. The moves are not entirely “haphazard,” Dobson said. Godlen and Tim have “played two-and-a-half seasons together at U21 and Vodacom Cup.”
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has made only two changes to his starting lineup. Tiaan Swanepoel takes over at fullback from EW Viljoen, who has been ruled out for at least four weeks.
The other switch is rotational, with Ross Cronje starting at scrumhalf in place of Morne van den Berg.
After a bye last week, the Cheetahs want to hit the ground running against the Bulls. Coach Hawies Fourie has made two changes to his pack for the trip to Pretoria.
Hard-working loose forward Aidon Davis will miss the game because of a calf injury and his place at blindside flank is taken by Victor Sekekete.
Kutha Mchunu comes in as tighthead prop in place of Hencus van Wyk, who has also been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Injuries have forced Bulls coach Jake White to reshuffle his backline, with Kurt-Lee Arendse and David Kriel switching to fullback and right wing respectively.
In another change Marco Jansen van Vuren earns his first start on the left wing.
There is a new halfback pairing, with Morne Steyn returning to flyhalf and Embrose Papier back in the
Number 9 jersey. White said: The Cheetahs
“are the only team to have beaten us in the last round, so we are truly looking forward to this one.”