Positional switch: Don Armand shifts from lock to flank
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has made seven changes to his starting XV for Saturday's Currie Cup clash against Griquas at Newlands.
Joe Pietersen, Louis Schreuder, Wilhelm van der Sluys, Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff all start, while Gio Aplon and Don Armand switch positions.
In the backline, Pietersen will wear his regular number fifteen jersey after returning from injury against the Sharks last Saturday, with Aplon switching to the left wing.
Schreuder will start at scrum-half, with Nic Groom dropping down to the bench after starting two matches in a row.
Up front, Springbok squad member Malherbe returns at tighthead along with Kitshoff in a double front row change. Experienced duo Brok Harris and Deon Carstens provide cover via the bench.
Elsewhere in the pack, Don Armand shifts from lock to flank to cover for the suspended Tyrone Holmes at seven, meaning that WP U21 captain Wilhelm van der Sluys will earn his first-ever Currie Cup start for his province at lock.
There are two new faces on the bench this week, fly-half Gary van Aswegen (in for Kurt Coleman - broken jaw) and loose forward JJ Gagiano, a former Varsity Cup stalwart and a 2011 Rugby World Cup representative for the USA Eagles.
Van Aswegen last featured for WP in the opening match of the season, whilst Gagiano will make his Currie Cup debut should he take to the field on Saturday.
Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Jebb Sinclair, 7 Don Armand, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Helmut Lehmann, 18 JJ Gagiano, 20 Nic Groom, 21 Gary van Aswegen, 22 Damian de Allende.
Date: Saturday, September 22
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15:00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Deon van Blommestein
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