Maties power up for Hamilton's
FNB Maties head coach Chean Roux has assembled a powerful starting line-up for Friday evening's top-of-the-table WP Super League clash at Hamilton's.
In fact, this Maties team is so strong that the likes of Morné Jooste, PJ Vermeulen, Llewellyn Winkler, Cameron Peverett and Zandré Jordaan have all been named in the Victorians team, whilst Jonathan Adendorf, Donald Stevens Adnaan Osman will all warm the bench for the first team.
Newly-capped Western Province centre Paul Bosch will line up at No.12 for Maties, whilst flanker Pieter Myburgh - who is also not wanted by WP this weekend - will start in the No.6 shirt.
Myburgh will form a hard-tackling, yet mobile loose trio along with veteran No.8 Bennie Booysen and Varsity Cup-winning skipper (and flanker) Wesley Wilkins.
Henoe Stoffberg has once again been preferred to Varsity Cup Player of the Tournament Donald Stevens at scrumhalf, whilst Jean Stemmet - who is not far off a place in the WP Currie Cup team - is a man worth watching in the No.14 position.
Friday's match is a mouth-watering prospect. Hamilton's beat Maties 25-24 in the first round of fixtures (in Stellenbosch) and a second win over the defending champions will all but secure the WP Super League title for the Green Point-based club.
'Hammies', of course, will be representing Western Province at the annual National Club Championships next month, but the back-to-back Varsity Cup champions have not given up on capturing yet another league title.
"We've not been at our best in the league (this year)," Maties head coach Chean Roux told varsitycup.co.za.
"It's been quite tricky assimilating the squad after the Varsity Cup; with the older guys coming back and the odd provincial call-up, not to mention the recent SA Universities matches.
"I'm certainly not making any excuses, but hopefully we can show some consistency - something I have been aiming for in the second round of fixtures."
The Maties team: 15 Hayden Groepes, 14 Jean Stemmet, 13 Louw Schabort, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Andries Volgraaff, 10 Willie le Roux, 9 Henoe Stoffberg, 8 Bennie Booysen, 7 Wesley Wilkins, 6 Pieter Myburgh, 5 Jaco Nepgen, 4 Bertho van der Westhuizen, 3 André Schlechter, 2 Arno White, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Mathew Dobson, 17 Michael de Nieully-Rice/Andréw Crausaz, 18 Marinus Pretorius, 19 Jonathan Adendorf, 20 Donald Stevens, 21 TBC, 22 Adnaan Osman.