Western Province are looking to halt their alarming slide in the log standings by including their full compliment of Springboks for the Currie Cup clash against the Boland Cavaliers at Newlands on Saturday.

Province coach Allister Coetzee has been quick to bring in Springboks Schalk Brits, Brian Mujati, Bolla Conradie and Peter Grant into the match 22.

Those four WP players were part of a group of nine Springboks released from the national squad for Currie Cup duty. The rest of the Springbok squad will enjoy enforced rest over the two-week international break.

Conradie takes over from Dewald Duvenhage, who had a solid debut in the shock defeat to the Falcons last Friday. Grant is bracketed at flyhalf with Willem de Waal.

Brits takes over from Deon Fourie, who reverts to the substitutes' bench, while Mujati starts in place of Schalk Ferreira at tighthead prop.

The return of these players, however, was not the only change to the side. AJ Venter has been moved to the number seven flank, with Justin Melck slotting in at number eight to form a new-look loose trio with Francois Louw.

Wing Tonderai Chavhanga didn't train on Monday and Tuesday after getting a bump to his head against the Falcons and he was not considered for selection. Joe Pietersen takes his place on the right wing, with Wylie Human shifting to the right.

The coach sprung another surprise by including promising schoolboy star Nick Koster as the reserve loose-forward. Koster was a member of the South African Under-20 side this year.

Coetzee said it was easy to include the returning Springboks straight away.

"They are top quality players and you want to use that type of player," Coetzee told the official WP website.

"They have experience and they are coming from a higher level of play.

"They bring speed, knowledge and skill to the team. But the most important is for them to get the rest of the guys calm. The players should enjoy it again to go on the field and express themselves.

"The Springboks are very passionate and the fact that they have arrived late Sunday evening back from Australia but was on the training field on Monday is an indication of their great commitment to this union. It just shows how passionate they are about this province."

The coach said he was very happy with the way things went at training this week.

"The guys trained nicely. The four Springboks who joined us brought a new spirit of excitement with them and that lifted the guys after the two consecutive defeats.

"The team spirit never is a problem, but the guys were unhappy about the poor performances the past two weekends and to have the Boks back is a big positive."

Western Province: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Wylie Human, 13 Dylan Des Fountain, 12 Gcobani Bobo (captain), 11 Joe Pietersen, 10 Willem De Waal/Peter Grant, 9 Bolla Conradie, 8 Justin Melck, 7 AJ Venter, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Nick Koster, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Peter Grant/Willem de Waal, 22 Morgan Newman.

Date: Saturday, July 26
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Pro Legoete
Assessor: Sindile Mayende, Roderick Barry
Television match official: Michael Cupido

AFP