Western Province will be boosted by the return of several Springboks ahead of Saturday’s north/south Currie Cup derby at Loftus.
Loosefoward Sikhumbuzo Notshe, prop Wilco Louw, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and utility back Damian Willemse all look set to make the trip to Loftus as unbeaten WP look to cement top spot at the end of the round-robin stage.
Contracted Boks such as Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende, Frans Malherbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit won’t be involved this weekend.
With WP entering the playoffs soon, assistant coach Dawie Snyman is convinced that the returning stars will not have a disruptive impact on the camp.
He explains: “Some of them were part of the squad [earlier in the campaign].
“Wilco [Louw] played against the Pumas and Griquas; Damian Willemse played against Griquas, Notshe also played so those are guys that are used to how we play.
“There are guys that are doing well in our team and it’s important when you want to keep momentum to keep continuity.
“[But] it’s about them [the guys coming in] understanding their roles and how the team works.
“If they just do their jobs then naturally it will look like they are fitting in and not coming from the outside.”