UJ have a new Guy at flyhalf
Former Sharks starlet Guy Cronjé will line up at flyhalf for FNB UJ when they take on FNB Tuks in their 2012 Varsity Cup opener on Monday - a repeat of one of last year's semifinals.
Last year's semifinal clash - at the UJ Stadium in Johannesburg - saw Tuks travel from Pretoria and beat the table-topping UJ team, which will no doubt help in the Johannesburg side's motivation come Monday.
Missing from that UJ team, however, is star playmaker Worsie Kotze - who impressed for Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand - but he has a more than able replacement in former Shark Guy Cronjé.
Guy and his twin brother, Ross, joined the Lions this year, after a few seasons with the Sharks, and he will add plenty of experience and big-game know-how to this UJ side jam-packed with talent.
Familiar faces in the backline include fullback Aubrey McDonald and centres Luan Steenkamp and Divan van Zyl, whilst Justin Wheeler will, again, skipper the team from the No.8 position - forming a potent loose trio with Wendal Wehr (No.7) and Biscuit van Deventer (No.6).
Former SA Under-20 star Sebastian de Chaves will make his Varsity Cup debut in the second row - alongside Shane Kirkwood - meaning that Marnus van Huyssteen will warm the bench.
The FNB UJ team: 15 Chrysander Botha, 14 Aubrey McDonald, 13 Luan Steenkamp, 12 Divan van Zyl, 11 Andries Oosthuizen, 10 Guy Cronjé, 9 Jacques Pretorius, 8 Justin Wheeler (captain), 7 Wendal Wehr, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Jaco Vermeulen, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Heinrich Terblanche.
Replacements: 16 Shaun Malton, 17 Ruan Dreyer, 18 Marnus van Huyssteen, 19 Johan van Deventer, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Jaco Viljoen, 22 JR Esterhuizen, 23 Heinrich Terblanche.
Date: Monday, February 6
Venue: Tuks Rugby Stadium, Pretoria
Kick-off: 7pm (Live on SuperSport One)
Referee: Joey Salmans
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden, Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee, Johan Greeff
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