Western Province have named their team to play the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup Semi-final at Newlands with Springbok captain Jean de Villiers in the starting line up.
De Villiers will start at outside centre for defending champions and replaces Michael van der Spuy in the only change to the WP line-up that defeated the Sharks by 17-13 in Durban last Saturday – a result which sealed a top-of-the-log finish for the reigning champions.
Van der Spuy, in turn, falls out of the matchday 22 altogether, with another Springbok centre, Juan de Jongh, joining the replacements bench after dropping out of the team at the 11th hour last weekend with a hamstring injury.
Province are the only unbeaten team heading into the 2013 Absa Currie Cup play-offs. They have also suffered just one defeat at Newlands this entire year – in the guise of the Stormers – and will be hoping to advance to a first home final since 2001.
“To underestimate the Golden Lions would be the biggest mistake ever. This Lions team knows how to win,” WP coach Allister Coetzee said on the WP site.
“They actually played poorly and won against Griquas last weekend. They came from behind and in the second half they’ve been the side that up the intensity and put a lot of teams under pressure, so I’m under no illusions that we have to be careful and not underestimate the Lions.”
Western Province
15. Gio Aplon , 14. Gerhard van den Heever , 13. Jean de Villiers (vice-captain) , 12. Damian de Allende , 11. Cheslin Kolbe , 10. Demetri Catrakilis , 9. Louis Schreuder , 8. Duane Vermeulen , 7. Siya Kolisi , 6. Deon Fourie (captain) , 5. De Kock Steenkamp , 4. Eben Etzebeth , 3. Pat Cilliers , 2. Scarra Ntubeni , 1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: , 16. Frans Malherbe , 17. Brok Harris , 18. Michael Rhodes , 19. Schalk Burger , 20. Nic Groom , 21. Kurt Coleman , 22. Juan de Jongh
