Johannesburg – Despite being short-handed due to a spate of injuries, Eastern Province Kings coach Carlos Spencer hopes his inexperienced side's commitment will pull them through in the Currie Cup encounter against Griquas on Saturday.
Injury forced Spencer to name a starting line-up without seasoned lock pairing Darron Nell and Steven Sykes.
This follows an earlier injury to lock David Bulbring, with regular skipper and loose forward Luke Watson out for the rest of the season due to concussion.
Nell, who captained the side against the Sharks last weekend, has a calf strain but will start on the bench.
“We have lost a lot of experience at lock, but Steven (Cummins) and Cameron (Lindsay) will put in a big effort,” Spencer said on Tuesday.
“There may be concerns about experience, but I have absolutely no concerns about their work-rate or the effort they will put in.”
Spencer has not named a captain but would consult several contenders before making a final decision.
With flank Stefan Willemse out for the season through injury, Spencer has given a start to Tim Agaba at eightman, while moving Paul Schoeman to the side of the scrum.
“I believe Tim is an outright number eight and I was impressed with what he did when he came on against the Sharks. I also think flank is Paul's best position.”
Still seeking their first win after eight matches on their return to the Currie Cup top flight, Spencer said their emphasis this week had been on getting the basics right at the GWK Park.
“We have made big strides in defence, but we are still conceding too many points early on. We have spoken about getting the basics right from the start and needing to stick to the game plan.”
The Kings need to be focused for the entire match if they are to stand any chance of registering their maiden win, he said.
“We know Griquas will be a big challenge and we look forward to that, but we really need to focus early on and not give away points in the first 10 to 15 minutes.”
Kings team: Siviwe Soyizwapi, Ronnie Cooke, Tim Whitehead, Shane Gates, Ntabeni Dukisa, Gary van Aswegen, Tobie Botes, Tim Agaba, Devin Oosthuizen, Paul Schoeman, Steven Cummins, Cameron Lindsay, CJ van der Linde, Martin Ferreira, Charles Marais.
Replacements: Albe de Swardt, Charl du Plessis, Darron Nell, Steven Sykes, Thembelani Bholi, Kevin Luiters, George Whitehead, Scott van Breda. – Sapa