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Nyakane number one for Currie Cup semifinal

Oct 19 • Currie Cup, General News • 1623 Views • Comments Off on Nyakane number one for Currie Cup semifinal

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Vodacom Blue Bulls coach, Pote Human, named Springbok prop, Trevor Nyakane, at loosehead for Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinal against DHL Western Province at DHL Newlands in Cape Town.

Nyakane moves from tighthead for this clash, with Dayan van der Westhuizen slotting into the number three jersey in the only changes to the pack that took to the field last weekend.

At the back, Human tweaked his outside backs, with Dylan Sage starting in place of Franco Naude, who moves to the bench and Duncan Matthews coming in for Jamba Ulengo. Sage will be making his first start since moving from the Blitzboks into the Bulkraal.

Amongst the replacements, Frans van Wyk, will return for the familiar surroundings of Newlands, where he will make a first appearance in this year’s competition.

Human said the team will be keen to turn-around their fortunes, following the good drubbing received from the Cape side last weekend.

“We had to take a good, hard look at ourselves and the efforts we dished up last weekend. That performance was not who we want to be as a team. We get the ideal opportunity to rectify that effort a week later and although it is in Cape Town this time around, it creates a great opportunity for us to show what we really capable of. We have not won the Currie Cup in a while and there is no doubt that we have the ability in this squad to do so this year.”

Human urged consistency.

“We played some proper rugby already this year, but then came really poor performances like last weekend. We know what we are capable of, so the challenge will be to deliver our best effort of the season.”

The Vodacom Blue Bulls captain, Hanro Liebenberg, said they could redeem themselves with a win at Newlands.

“WP are the favourites and rightly so. They are not undefeated for nothing so far. But no team is unbeatable and we have the belief that we can beat anyone in this competition. The challenge for us is to go and show that on Saturday. We are keen to go out there and shock the home crowd.”

 

The team (with caps and points) is:

  1. Divan Rossouw (9, 5)
  2. Duncan Matthews (15, 15)
  3. Dylan Sage (2, 0)
  4. Johnny Kotze (40, 35)
  5. Jade Stighling (15, 25)
  6. Manie Libbok (9, 66)
  7. Ivan van Zyl (23, 30)
  8. Hanro Liebenberg (c, 19, 20)
  9. Marco van Staden (6, 5)
  10. Ruan Steenkamp (15, 30)
  11. Eli Snyman (5, 0)
  12. Hendré Stassen (6, 0)
  13. Dayan van der Westhuizen (18, 15)
  14. Jaco Visagie (33, 10)
  15. Trevor Nyakane (29, 10)

 

Replacements:

  1. Edgar Marutlulle (55, 45)
  2. Frans van Wyk (5, 0)
  3. Conraad van Vuuren (17, 14)
  4. Ruan Nortje (5, 0)
  5. Nic de Jager (22, 15)
  6. Embrose Papier (0, 0)
  7. Tinus de Beer (7, 22)
  8. Franco Naude (6, 5)

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