DHL Western Province coach John Dobson has revealed his team for Currie Cup opener

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New DHL Western Province coach John Dobson has revealed his team for Friday’s 2015 Absa Currie Cup opener against ORC Griquas in Kimberley (kick-off 15h30).

Outside centre Juan de Jongh will lead a starting line-up that includes two DHL WP Currie Cup debutants, as well as five more on the bench. However, the playing squad includes 13 members of the matchday 22 from last year’s Absa Currie Cup Final.

“It’s not a totally new team in terms of last season,” explained Dobson, “but this team, mainly the pack, has not played together a lot since last year’s Absa Currie Cup Final.

“That’s the challenge for us, to ensure we get the pack working together as quickly as possible in order to bring our dangerous backline into play.”

Front rowers Bongi Mbonambi and Wilco Louw are the ‘new’ faces in the Province starting XV, despite both having played at Vodacom Super Rugby level for the DHL Stormers already, with Marius Fourie (on loan from the SWD Eagles), Chris van Zyl, Chris Cloete, Jano Vermaak and Johnny Kotze the debutants on the bench.

New scrumhalf signing Vermaak boasts plenty of top-level experience – including three Springbok caps – and Kotze played nine matches for the DHL Stormers in the 2015 Vodacom Super Rugby season.

Mbonambi has been named at hooker despite being in doubt with a hamstring niggle, but Sir Lowrians hooker Charlie van Jaarsveld has been named as the 23rd member of DHL WP’s squad should Mbonambi fail a matchday fitness test.

Dobson told the www.wprugby.com website: “Charlie featured for our Vodacom Cup team this year, so he’s not totally new to us, which is why we’d be happy to include him should Bongi fail a fitness test.

“Charlie and (flanker) Chris Cloete, from Hamiltons, are both in the selection mix through our club system, which is another feather in the cap of Jerome Paarwater’s Club to Vodacom Programme, which has also produced a player like Ali Vermaak.”

After five successful seasons in charge of DHL WP’s Under-21 and Vodacom Cup teams, Dobson is relishing his first taste of Absa Currie Cup rugby, but he is aware of the challenge facing the defending champions in Kimberley.

“This game is a banana skin of note,” admitted Dobson.

“Griquas are notorious for turning over one of the so-called ‘bigger’ teams and it’s game like these that they relish… for many reasons. We would be happy just to come away with a win – no matter what!

“They bring a big kicking game to the party, something we experienced during the Vodacom Cup, which means we will have to adapt our own kicking game to combat theirs.

“Griquas have come through a tough qualifying competition, so they will be galvanised, but, then again, we have the advantage of having watched a fair amount of their matches so far.”

The DHL Western Province team for Friday (v Griquas, away) is as follows:

15. Cheslin Kolbe
14. Dillyn Leyds
13. Juan de Jongh (captain)
12. Jaco Taute
11. Seabelo Senatla
10. Demetri Catrakilis
9. Nic Groom
8. Nizaam Carr (vice-captain)
7. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
6. Rynhardt Elstadt
5. Ruan Botha
4. Jean Kleyn
3. Wilco Louw (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
2. Bongi Mbonambi (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
1. Oli Kebble
Replacements:
16. Marius Fourie (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
17. Alistair Vermaak
18. Chris van Zyl (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
19. Chris Cloete (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
20. Jano Vermaak (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
21. Kurt Coleman
22. Johnny Kotze (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
*23. Charlie van Jaarsveld (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL WP)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Jaco Kotze
TMO: JJ Wagner