Fourie returns from injury, nears major milestone for Western Province

Springbok Deon Fourie will make his return to the rugby field after a long-term injury, coming off the bench when Western Province take on the Pumas on Saturday evening in Cape Town in the Currie Cup (7.20 pm start).

The veteran utility forward has recovered from a broken tibia but will be used sparingly by the Cape side as he looks to get some vital rugby minutes under his belt ahead of the start of the United Rugby Championship (URC).

Fourie (38) is one of a few changes head coach Labeeb Levy has made to the side, who are playing their second home game of the season. He will play from the replacement bench, with new captain Louw Nel, fetcher Paul de Villiers, and Connor Evans making up the starting loose trio.

Regular skipper Gary Porter is out with a shoulder injury, while fullback and playmaker Tristan Leyds will also miss the clash. They are replaced by Junior Bok lock Riley Norton and Luke Burger, respectively.

“Based on the players available, Louw Nel was the obvious choice. Out of a young group, he is one of the oldest guys,” Levy said.

“Deon (Fourie) is returning from injury and will be running out in his 99th game for Western Province, which will be a special occasion. He’s been good for the group and came with a couple of ideas; however, I don’t know if we can honour all of them,” Levy added with a laugh.

“He joined us on Monday. His example, having played at the pinnacle for WP, winning the Currie Cup as captain and the URC, and being a World Cup winner, is invaluable. We can lean on his expertise in keeping the group positive, which is important.”

According to Levy, he hopes a bit of Fourie’s composure, experience, and expertise will rub off on the younger players.

What the Cape side will also be hoping for is that the turf at the DHL Stadium holds up for the match. A big scrum battle is expected between the two sides, and rolling mauls could also be a key aspect of the duel.

The surface took some strain during the Springbok Test against the Wallabies, but Levy added that they played their first game against the Bulls in similar conditions.

“We haven’t trained here in a couple of weeks, but it hasn’t changed much since we were last here, to be fair. The Bulls game seems so far away, but there was some good energy in the group when we trained here, especially in the changeroom. It was nice to be back and to put a good session together.”

Western Province: 15 Luke Burger, 14 Joel Leotlela, 13 Gino Cupido, 12 Damian Markus, 11 Jared Africa, 10 Kyle Smith, 9 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 8 Louw Nel (captain), 7 Connor Evans, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Riley Norton, 4 Alex Groves, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Mhleli Khuzwayo. Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Oliver Reid, 18 Herman Lubbe, 19 Deon Fourie, 20 De Wet Marais, 21 Asad Moos, 22 Ronald Brown, 23 Brendan Venter.