Western Province set to meet plenty of familiar faces in Bulls Currie Cup opener

The Currie Cup is set to kick-off on a high note with a North-South derby between Western Province and the Bulls as South Africa’s premier domestic competition starts this weekend.

While both sides will have a keen focus on developing new players with a view on the United Rugby Championship (URC), there could be some added spice to this contest in the DHL Stadium - not that it ever needs any.

A couple of former Stormers players have been included in the Bulls’ squad for the campaign, and someone who probably did not reach his potential in the Cape due to some niggling injuries and minimal game time, Nama Xaba, is set to captain the Loftus Versfeld troop.

URC winning lock Marvin Orie, loose forward Junior Pokomela, and prop Lizo Gqoboka are the other Stormers players in the Bulls’ jersey, alongside Dylan de Leeuw and Chris Smit, who also played in the Cape for a bit. So, there will be a familiar feel to this game.

According to veteran Western Province hooker Scarra Ntubeni, they will be prepared for what comes their way this weekend.

“There is definitely a lot of experience on their side with guys who have been here, but we have plans for that," Ntubeni said on Monday.

“It is not a big thing, though. We will just focus on executing our plans on the day. They won’t also look too much into what we have done in the past, I think. Marvin does bring a lot of experience, but Gary (Porter) has done well for us. It won’t be too much of an issue.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into this campaign and every tournament we enter, we want to win.”

With the junior squads that the Bulls and Sharks announced, and the youngsters WP are set to let loose, it’s clear to see that certain teams will be using the Currie Cup as a developmental tournament.

While it will cause some debate, the South African sides playing in the URC and European tournaments will have to expand their player base to be competitive in both international club tournaments. The Currie Cup provides that opportunity ahead of the start of the URC in October.

Ntubeni is eager to take some young players under his wing and show them the ropes.

“The Currie Cup did take a bit of a dip, but it is the oldest tournament and there is a lot of history. We went to Newlands just so that the guys could absorb that they are playing for WP. With the rich history, they should take it seriously.

“For plenty of them, it is a dream come true. We are encouraging them to work hard and make memories.”