Coetzee at No 8 for Province

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Jaco Coetzee will start at No 8 in one of seven changes to the Western Province starting lineup to face the Pumas at Newlands on Friday.

Three of the changes are injury-enforced and the other four are rotational for the third-round clash, as Province look to bounce back from two consecutive losses to the Vodacom Bulls and Lions.

Injuries to Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel and Juarno Augustus have Tristan Leyds, Michal Haznar and Jaco Coetzee making their first starts for Western Province this season.

Leyds will have his first official start on the wing, having come off the bench against the Lions in Johannesburg last week. Meanwhile, Haznar will link up in midfield with Rikus Pretorius, who is back in the starting lineup. Paul de Wet starts at scrumhalf in the other change to the backline, while Springbok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies is back on the bench.

In the forward pack Coetzee is at No 8 in place of Augustus, who picked up a neck strain against the Lions. In the other two changes, lock David Meihuizen and hooker Scarra Ntubeni come into the starting XV.

Western Province – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Michal Haznar, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Tristan Leyds, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs (from): 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Johan du Toit, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Kade Wolhuter, 23 Dan du Plessis, 24 Kwenzo Blose, 25 Marcel Theunissen, 26 Sihle Njezula.

Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images