Fourie changes one ahead of first SA Cup home fixture

The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers return to Boland Stadium on Sunday afternoon when they host the Griffons in their second round SA Cup encounter in Wellington.

Boland come into the fixture with confidence after opening their campaign with an impressive 34-24 away victory against the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last week. It was a performance that showed both attacking and strong defensive prowess as Hawies Fourie’s men raced into an early lead 24-0, leading before holding off a determined second-half fightback from the home side.

Playing at home for the first time in the competition will add further motivation for the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, who will be keen to build momentum in a tournament where the stakes are high.

They have not lost any of what is known as #BolandSundays and claimed the impressive scalps of the Toyota Cheetahs, Vodacom Bulls, and Fidelity ADT Lions in Wellington in the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division in 2025.

However, the Griffons beat the Kavaliers in Welkom in the SA Cup 38-35 and also secured an away win in the Currie Cup First Division in 2024 when they won 34-31. Michael Benadie, Duran Hoffman and Domenic Smit were all instrumental in that fixture – they have since changed allegiance and have become stalwarts for Boland.

Fourie has made one change to the team that beat the Cheetahs, with Kwanda Dimaza on the sidelines due to a concussion. Khwezi Mafu is promoted to the starting lineup with Michael Mutumbo set to make his Kavaliers debut off the bench.

Matches between these two sides are often tightly contested affairs, and Sunday’s encounter is unlikely to be any different. The Griffons are known for their physicality and willingness to compete at the breakdown, while Boland will again look to play with tempo and move the ball to space whenever the opportunity presents itself.

With a passionate Wellington crowd expected to turn out in numbers, the stage is set for what promises to be another entertaining afternoon of rugby in the Cape Winelands. For the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, the objective will be clear: build on last week’s winning start and continue laying a strong foundation for the rest of their SA Cup campaign. The lure of playing in the Carling Currie Cup Premier division – the top four teams in the SA Cup will qualify – will be of great motivation for both sides.

The match kicks off at 4pm and will be preceded by the now traditional church service at 1.30pm. Sean Muller has been appointed as the referee and tickets are available at https://bolandrugby.co.za/tickets/

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers starting XV: 15⁠ ⁠Domenic Smit, 14⁠ ⁠Jade Stighling, 13⁠ ⁠Lunathi Nxele, 12⁠ ⁠Chris Smit, 11⁠ ⁠Xavier Mitchell; 10⁠ ⁠Juan Mostert, 9⁠ ⁠Louis Schreuder; 8⁠ ⁠Thurlow Marsh (capt), 7⁠ ⁠Khwezi Mafu, 6⁠ ⁠Sauliegh Arendse; 5⁠ ⁠Marlyn Williams, 4⁠ ⁠Jeandre Leonard: 3⁠ ⁠Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2⁠ ⁠Sidney Tobias, 1 Dewald Maritz. Replacements: 16⁠ ⁠Joshua Eras, 17⁠ ⁠Mthokozisi Gumede, 18⁠ ⁠Andrew Beerwinkel, 19⁠ ⁠Michael Benadie, 20⁠ ⁠Michael Mutombo, 21⁠ ⁠Chriswill September, 22⁠ ⁠Erik Lambrecht, 23⁠ ⁠Thurlon Williams

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers v Griffons - Sunday @ Boland Stadium, Wellington (4pm)

Referee: Sean Muller