Griquas coach Pote Human has shuffled his loose trio for the crucial promotion/relegation play-off with the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
Carel Greeff comes into the side at No.8, with Burger Schoeman moving to blindside flank and RJ Liebenberg shifting across to the openside, with Marnus Schoeman dropping down to the bench.
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Lock Patrick O’Brien comes in for Jaco Nepgen who is out with a knee injury, and at scrumhalf Jacques Coetzee replaces Marnus Hugo who will also be on the bench.
Schoeman and Hugo are joined on the bench by prop Nick Schonert, but the rest of the starting line-up that secured a narrow victory over the Pumas in Kimberley is unchanged as Griquas travel to Nelspruit to protect their Currie Cup status.
If the sides were to draw level, it would come down to competition points. Should that not decide it, points difference and tries – for and against – would come into play.
Griquas: 15 Gouws Prinsloo, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Jacques Coetzee, 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Burger Schoeman, 6 RJ Liebenberg, 5 Patrick O’Brien, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes (Captain), 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Janro van Niekerk, 18 Nick Schonert, 19 Marnus Schoeman, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 JP Nel, 22 Nico Scheepers.
Date: Friday 25 October 2013
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant Referees: Sieg van Staden, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Johan Greeff
I look at these two sides (Griquas and Pumas) along these lines….
Griquas have better players and are more robust, with maybe a bit more depth in their squad too.
The Pumas however are bloody well coached, with a more limited player lineup.
The Pumas will be super-pumped up for the decider match, in their own backyard…. and I think there will be a nice turn-out of spectators at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit for this game.
Only 2 points seperate the sides from a points difference perspective and a win by the Pumas by 3 points, will see them usurp the Griquas in the Currie Cup Premier Division.
The question however remains whether the Pumas / Griquas AND EP Kings will all get into the Currie Cup Premier Division anyway? This will happen if a re-vote is done by the SARU General Council on 5 December 2013. It currently seems that some of the smaller Unions, who voted against the 8-team format at the last meeting, have had a re-think on the matter and might now vote in favour of 8 teams in the Premier Division. There is a caveat though, they will vote in favour if (and only if) the 8-team format is for a single year only.
@ grootblousmile:
I cane NEVER see the Leopard voting for it.
They were unceremonially stripped of their status (as were the Pumas) DESPITE there being a proposal on the table that would have accomodated an 8 team CC, and an extended SR season.
It was proposed by the Pumas and known to the media at the 1st round game in 2011 because Jimmy Stonehouse explained it at the presser after the Lions/Pumas game.
Unfortunately, SARU acted in their norma high handed manner and did WTF they wanted to anyway.
I just wish that for once they (SARU) would make a decision based on sound judgement and conscience rather than the odour that Jurie Roux expells from his rectum on any given day.
And as much as I like the mongrel in Griquas, I guess from having to spend 2 years there as a guest of the SADF, GOOOOOO PUUUUMAS!!!!!!!!!!!
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