Montgomery benched for Province Currie Cup decider

Speedster Tonderai Chavhanga has been laid low by a hamstring injury and has been replaced by backline utility player Joe Pietersen, in the Western Province Absa Currie Cup rugby team to play the Lions at Newlands on Saturday.

Although Chavhanga has not been playing at his best of late, he has been a potent weapon in the team’s attacking arsenal and was perhaps just one match away from reaching his top form again.

Western Province Currie Cup coach Allister Coetzee will have an uneasy next 24 hours as his flyhalf matchwinner Peter Grant has not trained at all this week. On Wednesday Grant was again on the sidelines, nursing an injured ankle.

His fitness will again be assessed on Thursday, when Western Province are likely to make a final decision on his availability for this do-or-die Currie Cup encounter.

Springbok points machine Percy Montgomery has been named on the bench and will play if Grant fails a fitness test.

Western Province team:

Conrad Jantjes, Joe Pieterse, Sireli Naqelevuki, Jean de Villiers (capt.), Wylie Human, Peter Grant, Ricky Januarie, Luke Watson, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Andries Bekker, Adriaan Fondse, Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits, Wicus Blaauw.

Replacements: Deon Fourie, JC Kritzinger, Schalk Ferreira, AJ Venter, Bolla Conradie, Percy Montgomery, Morgan Newman,

Sapa – CurrieCupRugby.com