FRIDAY, 12.30PM:
THE Mpumalanga Pumas rugby selectors have made four changes to the side that lost 29-30 to South-Western Districts over the weekend, to play the Gauteng Falcons in a Bankfin Currie Cup match in Brakpan on Friday night.
Dan van Zyl, who usually plays at scrumhalf, takes over at flyhalf in place of Eben von Gericke. Arni van Rooyen takes Van Zyl’s place, while a late injury to the ribcage of prop Danie du Toit means that Hakkies Swart is also drafted into the side. In the only other change, Joe Beukes replaces Draadkar de Lange.
Northern Free State will host Gauteng Lions in a Currie Cup match at North West Stadium in Welkom on Friday night.
Northern Free State selectors have made only three changes to the team. Willie Nagel replaces Barnie Brits at centre, Henry Kershaw replaces axed Johan van Solms and Flip de Jager has recovered from an injury and will replace Koos Heydenreich.
Gauteng Falcons selectors on Thursday named the team to play Mpumalanga Pumas at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday night. Falcons’ leading pointscorer Gert Peens replaces Jacques Blaauw at fullback. Left wing Len van Riet has recovered from injury and replaces Peet Smit, who suffered broken ribs against the Lions. Duane Willemse comes in for Jacques van Niekerk at scrumhalf.
GAUTENG FALCONS TEAM:
Gert Peens; Jaco Nortje, FA Meiring, Eugene Meyer (captain), Len van Riet; Jaco Viljoen, Duane Willemse; Nigel Pickford, Naas Rossouw, Joe Senekal, Don van der Riet, Ockert Booyse, Johan le Roux, Hennie Pieterse, Gunder Williamson. RESERVES: Jacques Blaauw, Porta Hoffmann, Jacques van Niekerk, Golie Gouws, AN Other, Jan Bosch.
MPUMALANGA PUMAS:
Andries Fourie, Riaan Potgeieter, Carlo Jonker, Gerhard Bouwer, Kallie Benadie, Dan van Zyl, Arni van Rooyen, Piet Joubert, Joe Beukes, Francois Rossouw, Elandre van der Bergh, Chaka Willemse, Hakkies Swart, Henry Kemp, Andre Botha. RESERVES: Polla Nel, Eben van Gericke, to be announced, Reyno Vermaak, tba, Draadkar de Lange.
NORTHERN FREE STATE: JP van der Berg, Rampie Harmse, Albertus van Buuren, Willie Nagel, Pierre van Zyl, Eric Herbert, Jurie Jerling (captain), Henry Kershaw, Slang Roux, Eugene Delport, Gerhard du Plessis, Flip de Jager, Baksteen Nel, Otto Wagner, Kobie Appelgryn. RESERVES: Tommie de Beer, Barnie Brits, Stefan Pauwsen, Martin Venter, Christo Dippenaar, Almero Michau.
GAUTENG LIONS: Kobus Engelbrecht, Jannie van der Walt, Joe Gillingham, Hennie le Roux, Thinus Delport, Louis van Rensburg, Johan Roux (captain), Andre Vos, Bruce Thorne, Janus Labuschagne, Wilnand Vlok, Gerie Theron, Faan Muller, James Dalton, Balie Swart, RESERVES: JP du Plooy, Joe Esterhusen, Chris Rossouw, Varren Brosnihan, Roberto Grau, Kapstok van Greuning.