Maties' Wilkins heads to Loftus
Wesley Wilkins, the Maties' Varsity Cup-winning captain, has been drafted onto the Griquas replacements bench for this weekend's Currie Cup clash against the Blue Bulls.
Wilkins (pictured - in the Maties jersey) will provide loose forward cover for the Peacock Blues as they chase a semifinal place at the most daunting of venues - Loftus Versfeld, the home of the powerful Bulls.
The 24-year-old No.6 flank has been drafted in to replace Sean Plaatjies on the bench.
If Wilkins gets game time on Saturday (kick-off in Pretoria is at 3pm), he will go up against Springbok ironman Pierre Spies, as well as flankers Dewald Potgieter and Deon Stegmann - two of the brightest loose forward prospects in South African rugby.
Another Springbok, forgotten man Pedrie Wannenburg, is on the bench for the Bulls, so Wilkins should certainly prepare himself for a baptism of fire come Saturday!
Wilkins captained the Maties to Varsity Cup glory earlier this year, as they beat Pukke 11-6 in a tight-fought final in Stellenbosch. However, the former Border Under-18 and Selborne College star missed the 2008 Varsity Cup Final - and their 16-10 win over UCT - with an ankle injury.
Joining Wilkins on the Griquas bench will be his former Maties teammate, scrumhalf Donald Stevens - the top points-scorer in the 2009 Varsity Cup and also the official Player of the Tournament.
Stevens, a Grey College Old Boy, has been in Kimberley for a few months already.
With so many Varsity Cup players currently playing, and starring, at various Provinces around the country, it would be interesting to see how a (best of) Varsity Cup XV would fare in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup...
The Griquas team: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Jaco Bekker, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Trompie Nontshinga, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 Jacques Lombaard, 4 Cecil Kemp, 3 Ruaan du Preez, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Albertus Buckle.
Replacements: 16 Dries Kruger, 17 Andre Schlechter, 18 Brendon Snyman, 19 Wesley Wilkins, 20 Donald Stevens, 21 Wilmaure Louw, 22 Gavin Passens.
Kick-off: 3pm - Saturday, October 3