WP recall fit-again centre Whitehead
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:18
Tim Whitehead in action for UCT. (c) Peter van As
Western Province, in trouble after successive Currie Cup defeats, without mercurial Gio Aplon and powerhouse Tiaan Liebenberg and facing the resurgent Golden Lions, have Tim Whitehead back from injury and have brought in two new players.
The return of Whitehead, after a week off because of a hamstring injury, will be very welcome as Frikkie Welsh looked uncomfortable at centre against the Free State Cheetahs and the veteran is allowed to shift back to the left wing.
There are two changes in the pack. JD Moller who replaced Wicus Blaauw during the match after the white-helmeted loosehead had been penalised at scrums, starts with Blaauw on the bench. Then there is the elevation of energetic Deon Fourie in the place of Liebenberg who is a big loss with his bustling, confrontational play and his cheer demeanour.
Western Province have opted for a five-two split on the bench and it is here that the new men are - hooker Callie Visagie and versatile three-quarter Marcel Brache. Both Visagie and Brache are 22 years of age, which is about where their experience of top rugby ends.
Visagie, of Paarl Boys' High, has a record of achievement at age-group levels, Brache none. At Rondebosch Boys' High Brache was a better cricketer and played rugby for the 2nd XV till John Dobson, then the UCT coach, saw him in the residence league and hauled him in.
A year or so later he is playing for Western Province - a player with a booming boot and great acceleration. He plays fullback, centre and wing, which is greater versatility than Morgan Newman offers. Newman drops out of the squad altogether. The versatility of Brache and Conrad Hoffmann make it possible to have just two backs on the bench.
Visagie comes into the side after injuries to Liebenberg (ankle) and Hanyani Shimange (groin). Brache comes in with Aplon's selection for the Springboks in the place of injured Butch James.
It has not been the best of seasons down at Ellis Park but the Golden Lions have their tails up after beating the Free State Cheetahs, Pumas and the Leopards. In addition they will be at home at Coca Cola Park, less homely to Western Province than Newlands. The home side may have the confidence which Western Province used to have till they were well beaten in Durban.
Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Frikkie Welsh, 10 Willem de Waal, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Nick Köster, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Anton van Zyl (captain), 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 JD Moller.
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Wicus Blaauw, 18 Buhle Mxunyelwa, 19 De Kock Steenkamp, 20 Pieter Myburgh, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Marcel Brache.
Date: Friday, September 3
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Assistant referees: Archie Sehlako, Luke Burger
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
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