In a weekend with only one Currie Cup game being played, there will also be two compulsory friendlies taking place around the country.
The Sharks will be hosting Griquas at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon in the only Currie Cup fixture. They have made two changes to their match 22 who beat Western Province last weekend.
Flanker Keegan Daniels will be making a rare start in Jacques Botes’s place and the other change, on the bench, is Ronnie Uys drafted in at the expense of Robbie Harris.
New Sharks coach John Plumtree has been fortunate not to have lost players to injury, as he has picked a similar team for the third week in a row.
Sharks eighthman Ryan Kankowski had an impressive game against the Capetonians last weekend and will be looking for a repeat performance against the Griquas, who were on the receiving end of a hiding dished out by the Cheetahs.
Griquas have made three changes to their starting 15: prop Albertus Buckle and locks Louwtjie Louw and Evan Bothes. Loosehead prop Regard Dreyer and hooker Hans van Dyk will move to the bench for the fixture. Utility player Tiger Mangweni will miss the match after failing a late fitness test.
Bulldogs vs Lions
The Border Bulldogs will be hosting an experimental Golden Lions team in their compulsory friendly at the Absa Stadium in East London on Saturday.
The Lions have not had the best of starts after losing 25-11 to the Blue Bulls in their Currie Cup match last weekend and 18-13 to Western Province. Their only victory has been against the Sharks, where they won 14-7.
The Bulldogs have made some changes, with the experienced Josh Fowles starting at scrumhalf, Pietie Loots playing at eighthman ahead of Blackie Swart and Hugo Horn replacing Greg van Jaarsveld as hooker. Jacques Kemp gets some game time ahead of Black Mtimka at loosehead, and left wing Lola Waka will be in the starting 15.
The Bulldogs have lost both their opening Currie Cup first-division matches and, unless their lightweight forward pack can hold their own, they will be severely tested in defence.
For the Lions, Colin Lloyd will start at fullback in what is an experimental back line. Former Baby Boks centre Thabang Molefe will start at inside centre. Ghahiel Markus will start on the left wing and Wylie Human will start on the right wing for the injured Thobela Mdaka.
Flanker Solly Tyibilika is currently suffering from tonsilitis, and the team doctor, Frans Verster, will make a final call on Friday afternoon on whether he can play this weekend. If Tyibilika is ruled out of the game, Roland Bernard will step in and run out in the number-seven jersey.
The forwards have familiar faces with only Wilhelm Koch and possibly Derruck Minnie being new.
Western Province vs South Western District
The drama-filled Western Province team will travel to George to take on South Western District in a compulsory friendly on Saturday afternoon. The Western Cape derby should be full of fireworks as the hosts will fancy their chances against a under-performing Western Province outfit.
The Capetonians’ run of bad fortune started when they lost to neighbours Boland followed by a second loss against the Sharks. Now they will be under new management after the resignations of head coach Kobus van der Merwe and assistant Jerome Paarwater. They have been replaced with Vodacom Cup coaching duo Gary Gold and Nazeem Adams.
The Western Province team is filled with well-known game breakers and, despite their inconsistency, beating South Western District should not be a problem.
A back three of Gio Aplon, Egon Seconds and Brent Russell should pose problems for the hosts as these three have the ability to unlock defences.
The new midfield combination of Dylan Des Fountain and Morgan Newman should be interesting. Van der Merwe had been planning on using Dylan Des Fountain at outside centre for some time, but illness prevented it happening earlier. The out-of-sorts Naas Olivier needs to find form as his performances at flyhalf have been below par, with his tactical kicking being the biggest area of concern. — Sapa