Aplon blow for Province

Western Province will be without outside back Gio Aplon when they take on the Golden Lions in their Currie Cup clash at Newlands on Saturday.

Aplon, who was in a moonboot at training on Wednesday, has been sidelined for two to three weeks with an ankle injury and has been replaced in the starting line-up by young Damien de Allende.

Coach Allister Coetzee explained that the injury was not thought to be serious initially, but scans revealed a ligament tear.

"On Sunday we thought he had just gone over his ankle, but scans showed that it is a bit more serious than that, it is also a grade one ligament tear so he should be out for, if we are positive two weeks, but it could be three weeks as well," he said.

The other changes to the starting line-up that comprehensively beat Griquas last week come in the forward pack where Tyrone Holmes start on the flank after serving his one-match suspension, with Don Armand shifting back to lock and Wilhelm van der Sluys dropping to the bench.

"I don't want to break the tight five combination Don [Armand] has done really well and moving him back there is the right thing. He has got a huge work-rate and I am happy to have Tyrone back," Coetzee explained.

Coetzee has stuck with the same Under-21 front row combination of Frans Malherbe, Siyabonga Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff, that started against Griquas last weekend and has again opted for two props on the bench in Deon Carstens and Brok Harris.

Berton Klaasen provides cover on the bench, in for the injured Gary van Aswegen who has been ruled out for at least the rest of the season with his recurring ankle injury.

The Western Province coach said that his side will have to be ready for the table-topping Lions who are high on confidence at the moment.

"They are a really good side, they are Currie Cup champs and they have got a good pack of forwards, they scrum well, their set-piece is really strong and we will have to pitch and play well.

"They are a side that ooze confidence at the moment, but we are back at Newlands and we love it here and our preparations, despite the injury crisis have gone well," he said.

Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Damian de Allende, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Don Armand, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Helmut Lehmann, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Berton Klaasen, 22 Patrick Howard.

Date: Saturday, September 29

Venue: Newlands, Cape Town

Kick-off: 14.00 (12.00 GMT)

Referee: Marius Jonker

Assistant referees: Christie du Preez, Linston Manuels

TMO: Deon van Blommestein