Herne to start for Pumas
Steval Pumas Player of the Year, hooker Frank Herne, gets a well-deserved opportunity to start against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday night after starting from the bench in each of their previous nine Currie Cup fixtures.
Herne acted as Marko Janse van Rensburg and Mark Pretorius’ understudy so far in this campaign but gets his opportunity with Pretorius off with a hamstring injury.
Flanker Lambert Groenewald also had to be replaced due to a shoulder injury. Brian Shabangu, who started from the bench recently, has also been called up to the starting line-up.
Herne has scored three tries from the bench this season and is a vital cog in the side’s driving mauls.
Their top try-scorers in the competition are Mark Pretorius, Khwezi Mona, Jerome Pretorius and Ruwellyn Isbell on four each.
Flanker Francois Kleynhans has also been named on the bench after recovering from a concussion sustained in the game against the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
The backs, however, remain unchanged.The two teams have last met on August 9 at Mbombela Stadium with the Pumas loosing the match 34-45.
Pumas
15. Justin van Staden
14. Jerome Pretorius
13. Gerrit Smith
12. Hennie Skorbinski
11. Ruwellyn Isbell
10. Kobus Marais
9. Stefan Ungerer
8. Willie Engelbrecht
7. Thembelani Bholi
6. Brain Shabangu
5. Hugo Kloppers
4. Stefan Willemse
3. Pieter Scholtz
2. Frank Herne
1. Khwezi Mona
Reserves
16. Marko Janse van Rensburg
17. De-Jay Terblanche
18. Cameron Lindsay
19. Francois Kleinhans
20. Hilton Lobberts
21. Theo Maree
22. Selom Gavor.
