Deon Fourie returns from a broken leg suffered four months ago to help a Western Province side reeling from five straight defeats.
Springbok loose forward Deon Fourie will return to the field for the first time since he broke his tibia in April, helping a beleaguered Western Province in their Currie Cup match against Pumas in Cape Town on Saturday (kick-off 7.20pm).
Fourie, 38, broke his leg in a United Rugby Championship match against Connacht four months ago. Many thought that was the end of his career as he needed surgery and a long recovery period.
The union however confirmed that Fourie, who made his Test debut at the age of 35 in 2022 and then went on to perform strongly at the 2023 Rugby World Cup at 36, will play from the bench this weekend.
Fourie returns with Province in the pits
Western Province have been the seson’s whipping boys, backing their youngsters much like the Sharks and Bulls have done, but losing all five of their games so far.
As they play just their second home game this weekend, 23-year-old loose forward Louw Nel takes over the captaincy in the absence of Gary Porter, who has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Nel is joined in the loose trio by Connor Evans and Paul de Villiers, while SA U20 captain Riley Norton shifts to the second row in place of Porter. The experienced Fourie, who lifted the trophy in 2012 as captain, will feature from the replacements bench.
The only change to the front row sees Mhleli Khuzwayo come back into the starting line-up.
In the backline, Luke Burger moves to fullback in place of the injured Tristan Leyds, with Joel Leotlela taking his place on the wing.
Head coach Labeeb Levy said that his team is keen to make an impression in front of their home crowd.
“The team is highly motivated to put in a good performance for our loyal supporters,” Levy said. “We have been reinforced by a few experienced players, although we have also been hit with some injuries so we are aiming to put together an 80-minute performance and make the most of every moment.”
DHL Western Province: Luke Burger, Joel Leotlela, Gino Cupido, Damian Markus, Jared Africa, Kyle Smith, Ezekiel Ngobeni, Louw Nel (captain), Connor Evans, Paul de Villiers, Riley Norton, Alex Groves, Zachary Porthen, Scarra Ntubeni, Mhleli Khuzwayo. Replacements: Lukhanyo Vokozela, Oliver Reid, Herman Lubbe, Deon Fourie, De Wet Marais, Asad Moos, Ronald Brown, Brendan Venter.
