The Airlink Pumas coach, Jimmy Stonehouse, has retained the match 23 that defeated the NonaVit Griffons on Sunday, April 16, for the Carling Currie Cup match against DHL Western Province on Friday, April 21.

The Pumas will host Western Province at Mbombela Stadium. Kick-off is at 16:30.

The Pumas are top of the log going into the seventh match of the season. They have 25 points. Western Province are fourth on 15 points.

The Pumas will start with the same 15 players as the previous match. The bench will be warmed by the same eight players as against the Griffons.

The Mpumalanga team are favourites to win the match. They have home ground advantage. The Province defence has also leaked too many tries this season, conceding 24 in six matches. The Western Cape team, that have won more Currie Cups than any other province, have scored 20 tries in the 2023 Currie Cup.

The Airlink Pumas have scored 38 tries and conceded 11. Their attack should dismantle the Western Province defence. Should the home team dominate the set pieces, as expected, they could just run riot against the visitors. With a stronger bench, expect the Pumas to keep the scoreboard ticking in the second half.

Airlink Pumas
1. Cameron Dawson
2. Corné Fourie
3. Njabulo Gumede
4. Malembe Mpofu
5. Shane Kirkwood (c)
6. Franna Kleinhans
7. Deon Slabbert
8. Kwanda Dimaza
9. Giovan Snyman
10. Tinus de Beer
11. Jade Stighling
12. Ali Mgijima
13. Diego Appollis
14. Stefan Coetzee
15. Devon Williams

16. PJ Jacobs
17. Etienne Janeke
18. Simon Raw
19. André Fouché
20. Ruwald van der Merwe
21. Chriswill September
22. Brandon Thomson
23. Lundi Msenge.

DHL Western Province
1. Kwenzo Blose
2. André-Hugo Venter
3. Lee-Marvin Mazibuko
4. Connor Evans
5. Gary Porter
6. Junior Pokomela
7. Jarrod Taylor
8. Keke Morabe
9. Godlen Masimla
10. Jean-Luc du Plessis
11. Suleiman Hartzenberg
12. Cornel Smit
13. Juan de Jongh (c)
14. Duncan Saal
15. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

16. Chad Solomon
17. Leon Lyons
18. Corné Weilbach
19. Dylan de Leeuw
20. Louw Nel
21. Labib Kannemeyer
22. Damian Markus
23. Luke Burger.