THURSDAY, 1.00PM:
WESTERN Province rugby selectors have recalled Springboks James Small and Fritz van Heerden for the Bankfin Currie Cup match against Eastern Province in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Van Heerden was ruled out for the Tri-Nations match against Australia because of flu and Small was rested for last Sunday’s game against Mpumalanga Pumas. Garry Pagel is the other change in the Province team. He comes in for Toks van der Linde.
Free State selectors have named Springbok Andre Venter for the match against South Western Districts Eagles in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Venter has been serving a three-week suspension for raking New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick in the Tri-Nations match in Auckland.
Meanwhile, David Knox will replace Henry Honiball, who is being rested after the high-intensity Free State clash last week, in the Natal team to play against Gauteng Lions at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday. In the positional changes, Robbie Kempson switches places from the sub’s bench with Ollie le Roux.
WESTERN PROVINCE TEAM:Justin Swart, James Small Percival Montgomery, Dirk Muir (captain), Pieter Rossouw, Louis Koen, Joggie Viljoen, Andrew Aitken, Corne Krige, Bobby Skinstad, Fritz van Heerden, Louis Blom, Garry Pagel, Johan van Wyk, Cobus Visagie. RESERVES: Christian Stewart, Mark Catchpole, Peet Arnold, Selwyn Boome, Toks van der Linde, Jaco Kirsten.
FREE STATE TEAM: MJ Smith; Chris Badenhorst, Helgard Muller (captain), Brendan Venter, Jan-Harm van Wyk; Jannie de Beer, Werner Swanepoel; AJ Venter, Johan Erasmus, Andre Venter, Braam Els, Ryno Opperman, Willie Meyer, Naka Drotske, Os du Randt. Reserves: Christo Potgieter, Andre Fourie, Kat Myburgh, Jaco Coetzee, Dougie Heymans, Charl Marais.
NATAL TEAM: Andre Joubert, Sean Payne, Jeremy Thomson, Pieter Muller, Joos Joubert, David Knox, Kevin Putt, Gary Teichmann (captain), Wayne Fyvie, Wickus van Heerden, Steve Atherton, Mark Andrews, Adrian Garvey, Dannie van der Walt, Rob Kempson. RESERVES: Errol Stewart, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Hentie Martens, Dieter Kriese, Jon Slade, Ollie le Roux.