Western Province flank Nama Xaba is fit again and will take his place on the side of the scrum when they host Griquas in Currie Cup action at Cape Town Stadium today (3.45pm).
Here is your DHL WP team that will be looking to make it back-to-back wins at Cape Town Stadium when they take on Tafel Lager Griquas at 15h45 on Wednesday. #wpjoulekkerding #dhldelivers pic.twitter.com/zsoe9nN87r
Out since May because of an ankle injury suffered in training, Xaba returns to the starting line-up alongside fellow fit-again stars Dan du Plessis, centre, and hooker JJ Kotze.
In more good news for WP, lock JD Schickerling returns from an ankle injury.
With the good, though, comes the bad.
Schickerling’s lock partner Salmaan Moerat will be out for two to three months after undergoing surgery to his injured neck.
WP coach John Dobson is confident that Moerat will be ready to go in the United Rugby Championship.
As for the return of Xaba and Schickerling for tomorrow’s visit from Griquas, Dobson says: “I’m thrilled to have JD [Schickerling] and Nama [Xaba] back, they’ve been out for a long time. They’re really important players for us.
“A bit of a blow for us about Salmaan [Moerat] being out for longer than we thought, but it’s his neck so we don’t want to take chances.
“But I’m very happy with the team we put out, we’re heading in the right direction.”
Dobson also named Juan de Jongh, who has returned to the Mother City from Wasps in England, on his extended bench.
The coach, though, says the midfielder will have to wait until next week when they face the British and Irish Lions to make his second debut in the hooped jersey.
WP will in all likelihood go with a six-two split on the bench, with their fit-again stars not expected to play the full 80 minutes.
Western Province: 15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Rikus Pretorius, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements (from): 16 Reinach Venter, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Niel Otto, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Abner van Reenen, 24 Andre-Hugo Venter, 25 Justin Basson, 26 Juan de Jongh.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za