Province call up eight rookies

A new-look Western Province team will head to Port Elizabeth to open their Currie Cup campaign against the Eastern Province Kings on Friday.

Centre Juan de Jongh, in his first senior match as captain of WP, will skipper a squad with eight Currie Cup debutants - although the 22-man group includes Springbok squad members Frans Malherbe and Eben Etzebeth.

Prop Malherbe has not played since May 3, whilst lock Etzebeth will feature in his first game of the season - both star forwards getting valuable game time ahead of the Springboks' Rugby Championships campaign.

Malherbe will start from the bench as he makes his way back into action from a concussion-related lay-off, whilst Etzebeth will start in the No.4 jersey after being sidelined since November 2013 with a long-term foot injury and then, recently, with a minor toe injury.

The starting Currie Cup debutants for WP are wings Kobus van Wyk and Seabelo Senatla, lock Manuel Carizza and loosehead prop Alistair Vermaak - despite all four having featured in Super Rugby earlier this year for the Stormers.

On the bench, meanwhile, hooker Stephan Coetzee, lock Jean Kleyn, flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe and flyhalf Robert du Preez will be eagerly anticipating their first taste of Currie Cup action - Coetzee, Kleyn and Notshe having played Super Rugby in 2014 and WP Under-21 ace Du Preez playing for WP in the Vodacom Cup earlier this year.

"It's a new-look team, but an exciting unit," Western Province coach Alistair Coetzee said.

"Opening matches are always tough affairs and there's no doubt that the EP Kings will be well up for this match.

"I've watched a few of the EP games of late and you know that a team under Carlos Spencer will play an exciting brand of rugby, so we're bracing ourselves for a big onslaught come Friday."

Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Demetri Catrakilis,  9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Alistair Vermaak.

Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Jean Kleyn, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Robert du Preez, 22 Pat Howard.

Date: Friday, August 8

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)

Referee: Jaco Peyper

Assistant referees: Christie du Preez, Jaco Pretorius

TMO: Deon van Blommestein