The six Absa Currie Premier Division teams will receive a stark reminder this weekend that every remaining match counts as round two of the series kicks off.
GWK Griquas will look to make the most of their home ground advantage when they line up against the Sharks in Kimberley where the Durban side went down 22-15 last season. The hosts will also take comfort from the fact that they pipped the Sharks 32-30 in their round-one clash. The Durban team, however, have looked like a force when things click, and will look to achieve this with an eye on reclaiming the top spot on the log. They will also aim to expose Griquas’ permeable defence as the side have leaked 16 tries in their five matches. Both teams welcome back key locks for the clash, with the talented Pieter-Steph du Toit earning his first Currie Cup start this season after an injury layoff, while Rory Arnold has been included in the Griquas engine room after being cleared of biting during their clash against the Cheetahs two weeks ago. Griquas have also recalled star players Nico Scheepers and JP Nel into the starting team.
- GWK Griquas: PJ Vermeulen; Nico Scheepers, JP Nel, Howard Mnisi, Rocco Jansen; Francois Brummer, Marnus Hugo; Carel Greeff, Burger Schoeman, Marnus Schoeman, Strand Kruger, Rory Arnold, Nick Schonert, Ryno Barnes (capt), Steph Roberts. Replacements: Matt Dobson, Brummer Badenhorst, Patrick O’Brien, RJ Liebenberg, Jacques Coetzee, Du Randt Gerber, Gouws Prinsloo.
- The Sharks: SP Marais; Sizo Maseko, Louis Ludik, Tim Whitehead, Lwazi Mvovo; Butch James, Charl McLeod; Jacques Botes (capt), Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel; Pieter-Steph du Toit, Edwin Hewitt; Wiehahn Herbst, Kyle Cooper, Danie Mienie. Replacements: Monde Hadebe, Dale Chadwick, Peet Marais, Justin Downey, Cobus Reinach, Fred Zeilinga, Jaco van Tonder.
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division fixtures:
- 13 September at 19h10: Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs MTN Golden Lions at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
- 13 September 2013 at 15h00: GWK Griquas vs The Sharks at the GWK Park, Kimberley
- 14 September at 17h05: Vodacom Blue Bulls vs DHL Western Province at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
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