Poorte looking to put the spring back in their step

Roodepoort Rugby Club will be facing off with Springs Rugby Club at Emirates Airline Park (Ellis Park) tomorrow, in a bid to get their SSG Gold Cup campaign off the ground.

Poorte will undoubtedly be out to seek redemption for their lacklustre performance in their return to the Gold Cup against Rustenburg Impala last weekend, after being absent from the country’s top club competition for five years. Both Poorte and their opponents will have it all to do on the Golden Lions Rugby Unions’ most hallowed turf as Springs also lost their opener against Swallows Rugby Club.

The winner of the clash will earn themselves the possibility of progressing to the quarter-finals, with the winner undoubtedly hoping that Rustenburg will roll Swallows over as that would work out strongly in their favour. If Rustenburg defeat Swallows and prevent them from gaining any bonus points, that would mean the winner of the Poorte-Springs encounter would move into second spot in Group D.

Poorte head coach Alwyn Hollenbach has made a number of changes to the side which will be playing at the ground he once called home in his playing days at the Lions. One of these changes is the inclusion of André Esterhuizen at fly-half, but the majority of the changes are in Poorte’s forwards pack. Cliffie Vermaak has been moved to eighth man while Pieter Matthews moves from lock to flank, with tank JoJo Tshivashe returning at lock after recovering from concussion. Changes in the front row see Boeta Swart starting at hooker, while Ian Pottas begins at tight head after an impressive showing off the bench last week.