Preview: Griquas v Pumas

Editor

Currie Cup basement dwellers Griquas will be desperate to beat the Pumas when these teams clash in Kimberley on Saturday.

Griquas have made a terrible start to their campaign and are still winless after having played five matches so far this year.

Although they are not the only winless team in the competition, they are languishing in last place in the standings with a solitary point – two adrift of fellow strugglers the Eastern Province Kings.

Griquas face a Pumas side, who have done well in most of their matches so far this season but results haven't gone their way in recent weeks.

The men from Nelspruit have won two of their five matches so far this season but their last victory was registered in Round Three – a 15-13 triumph against the Kings in Port Elizabeth.

For this weekend's clash Pumas coach MJ Mentz has made several changes to his starting line-up.

The big news is that Faf de Klerk has been appointed captain while Mentz has made eight changes to his XV. 

In the backline, Hoffman Maritz takes over from JW Bell at full-back while Jerome Pretorius and Deon Helberg form a new midfield combination and Justin van Staden takes over from JC Roos at fly-half.

In the forwards, Marnus Schoeman replaces Jaco Biuer on the flank while Giant Mtyanda takes over in the second-row from Marius Coetzer. And in the front-row, De-Jay Terblanche and Francois du Toit start at tighthead prop and hooker respectively.

For Griquas, Jacquin Jansen replaces Sandile Ngcobo on the wing while in the back-row RJ Liebenberg and Hilton Lobberts drop out for Jonathan Adendorf and Johan Wessels respectively. AJ Le Roux starts at hooker in place of the benched Martin Bezuidenhout.

Prediction: The home side have improved in recent weeks but the Pumas are a competitive unit, who have impressed at home and away so far this season. Pumas to win by eight points!

The teams:

Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Ruhan Nel, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Jacquin Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Tian Meyer (c), 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Jonathan Adendorf, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Jaco Nepgen, 3 Stephan Kotze, 2 AJ Le Roux, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Ewald Van Der Westhuizen, 19 Jonathan Janse Van Rensburg, 24 Wendal Wehr, 21 Dylan Frylinck, 22 Gouws Prinsloo.

Pumas: 15 Hoffman Maritz, 14 Bernardo Botha, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 Deon Helberg, 11 Rosco Spekman, 10 Justin van Staden, 9 Faf de Klerk (k), 8 Jason Colin Fraser, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Giant Mtyanda 4 Rudi Mathee, 3 De-Jay Terblanche, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Corne Fourie. 
Replacements: 16 Frank Herne, 17 Khwezi Mona, 18 Marius Coetzer, 19 Jaco Bouwer, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Henne Skorbinski, 22 Wilmaure Louw.

Date: Saturday, September 12
Kick-off: 15:00 local (13:00 GMT)
Venue: Griqua Park, Kimberley
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant referees: Jason Jaftha, Pieter Janse van Vuuren