The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers head coach, Hawies Fourie, has named his team to face DHL Western Province in the Carling Currie Cup on Saturday, 6 September, at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
With five teams still battling for semi-final places, the Kavaliers know a victory is crucial to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Thurlow Marsh will lead the side while donning the number eight jersey. Marsh, along with Sibusiso Sangweni and Sauliegh Arendse, completes the loose trio.
The visitors head into the clash following a narrow last-minute defeat against the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV in Pietermaritzburg last Friday. Fourie’s chargers will be determined to take control of their own destiny rather than rely on other results to go in their favour.
There are a handful of changes to the match-day squad. Among the forwards, experienced lock Marlyn Williams, who captained the team earlier in the campaign before being sidelined by injury, returns to the starting XV in place of Jurie van Vuuren, who moves to the bench.
In the backline, scrumhalf Chriswill September returns to partner Juan Mostert, who remains at flyhalf with Ashlon Davids still sidelined. David Brits reclaims the No. 13 jersey, with the versatile Erik Lambrecht shifting to the bench.
At fullback, regular goalkicker James Tedder has been ruled out after picking up an injury at training this week. Domenic Smit replaces him in the starting lineup, while Jayden Bantom, who joined the Kavaliers from the Eastern Province Elephants after the SA Cup, earns a spot on the bench and could make his Kavaliers debut.
Among the replacements, Llewellyn Classen takes over as hooker cover from HP van Schoor, while Lamla Nunu comes in at loosehead prop. Mthokozisi Gumede swaps the number 17 jersey for the number 18 to provide tighthead cover. With Khwezi Mafu unavailable due to a minor injury, the experienced Van Vuuren provides loose forward cover.
Veteran scrumhalf Louis Schreuder is also on the bench as Fourie continues his halfback rotation, with Godlen Masimla sitting out this week.
Saturday’s clash, dubbed the N1 Derby by the media, kicks off at 14:45 with referee Morné Ferreira taking charge of the fixture.
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Donavan Don, 13 David Brits, 12 Lunathi Nxele, 11 Xavier Mitchell, 10 Juan Mostert, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Sibusiso Sangweni, 6 Sauliegh Arendse, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Michael Benadie, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Sidney Tobias, 1 Wayrin Losper
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Lamla Nunu, 18 Mthokozisi Gumede, 19 Ameer Hendricks, 20 Jurie van Vuuren, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Erik Lambrecht, 23 Jayden Bantom