A must win for Valke for playoff spot
Hino Valke coach, Rudy Joubert had to make three forced changes to the squad that will take on the iCollege Pumas for the SuperSport Challenge tomorrow at Mbombela Stadium.
Fullback Etienne Taljaard, Andries Truter and Lorenzo Gordon all picked up an injury during the Valke’s loss of 68-12 against the the Xerox Golden Lions last weekend.
Grant Janke (left wing), Nazeem Wood (fullback), and Don Mlondobozi (right wing) move to the starting line-up.
Loose head prop, Koos Strauss is back for the side after a niggle to his heel.
Strauss will replace Andries Schutte, who moves to the bench.
“We made silly errors against the Bulls (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 64-35) and the Lions. We couldn’t retain our ball position and that cost us dearly,” said Joubert.
Joubert said that having to replace three of his backline players is not a huge loss.
“During the pre-season matches we tested player combinations and I am satisfied with the team that will run out against a strong Puma team tomorrow.”
Former Pumas player, Leighton van Wyk now resides with the Kempton Park-based team and will start from the bench.
“I had a chat with Leighton during the week and he is excited to show what he is made of. It will also be a personal challenge for him. We are looking forward to some exciting rugby and we need to show our worth in the competition.”
