Cape Town - Western Province are locked and loaded for the Currie Cup semi-final showdown against the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.
More precisely, the log-leaders are loaded with locks after coach Allister Coetzee recalled 13 stalwarts to a run-on side which features a quartet of second-row forwards in Manuel Carizza, Jean Kleyn, Michael Rhodes and Rynhardt Elstadt.
The latter two will man the flank positions with Elstadt deployed in an unfamiliar openside role that has primarily been the domain of Sikhumbuzo Notshe this season.
“We know we have to stop (the) driving mauls,” Coetzee said on Thursday. “The Bulls are a mauling side and if I have to choose who stops mauls better - Rynhardt or Notshe? But who runs better of the two?
“There will be a time when we need to run and that will be the right time to make the substitutions, with Rynhardt moving to lock and Notshe coming off the bench which will really give us some impact in this game.”
Coetzee reversed the wholesale changes made prior to last week’s dead-rubber outing against the Sharks, but it is more telling to view the changes within the context of the last match Province played at full strength - the week-nine 34-29 win against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
There are only four personnel changes to that starting line-up and half of them are optional.
Notshe has been dropped to the bench to allow Elstadt to move to No 6 and fit-again Kleyn to resume duty at No 4 after missing the last two league games with a shoulder complaint. And Pat Howard will watch from the stands having relinquished the No 11 jersey to returning SA Sevens star Seabelo Senatla.
The two forced changes are at fullback and inside centre. Cheslin Kolbe has recovered from a fractured vertebra to start at No 15 for Dillyn Leyds, who is ineligible for the Currie Cup play-offs, and Jaco Taute’s withdrawal due to a rib injury will see Michael van der Spuy man the fort from No 12.
“Unfortunately Jaco didn’t make it,” added Coetzee. “This is an important game and you don’t want any players who are three-quarters ready. But I’m very happy with Michael van der Spuy... he started the first three games of the season.”
Justin Geduld was with Senatla at the Gold Coast last week and the decision to snub the Blitzboks playmaker in favour of teenaged outside back EW Viljoen on the bench raised a few eyebrows.
“With Jaco out, I had to look for fullback cover, and EW is more a fullback than a centre, and one of the Bulls strengths is their contestable kicking game,” said the Province coach.
Notshe started at No 6 in both of WP’s wins against the Bulls this season, but Coetzee said that the change of personnel did not reflect a change in approach for the semi-final.
“There’s nothing new that we’re doing,” he said. “It’s been a well-planned week, the players who came back this week slotted in nicely.
“The thing is that you have to respect what the Bulls bring to the party as well. You can’t just be ignorant about it and say, ‘no, we’re going to play this way’. You have the ball 50 percent of the time and they have 50 percent of the ball and it’s how best possible will you utilise their possession.
“We know it’ll be a physical battle, mauling is one of their big platforms and we have to make sure we’re well prepared for that.”
Log-leading Province are clear favourites to win after the Bulls rebounded from losing three of their first four matches to sneak back into play-offs contention.
“We’re embracing the pressure, that’s not something we can hide away from. We know the Bulls are coming here thinking that the pressure is on us, and that’s also fine - we know that.
“For us it’s great to be playing in front of almost 40 000 people, and it’s a massive north-south derby - what more could you ask for in Currie Cup rugby? It’s why we live and train and are in this business.
“It’s going to come down to 80 minutes of good decision-making this weekend and we’ve got to stop their momentum, pitch up with attitude and make it personal.”
Cape Argus