Ikeys ring changes for TUT clash

Highly-rated FNB Ikey Tigers scrumhalf Ricky Schroeder has been named on the bench for his team’s Varsity Cup Round Three clash against the FNB TUT Vikings on Monday.

Schroeder suffered a cruel injury last year – a broken leg at training, a day before the South African Under-20 squad was announced, but he has battled his way back strongly to be back in action after last featuring for UCT in the 2011 Varsity Cup Final.

Liam Slatem will again start in the No.9 shirt alongside Nick Holton, but they will have a new inside centre on the park in the shape of Zimbabwean Sevens player Michael Morris. Morris, of course, is a retreaded openside flanker and 2011 Varsity Cup winner with UCT.

Up front, flanker Ntsolo Setlaba will skipper a much-changed pack, with former WP Craven Week star Rayn Smid making his first-ever Varsity Cup start (at No.8) and Zandy Macdonald providing more ball-winning options on the ground from the No.7 shirt.

In other changes, Brad Bosman will line up in the No.4 shirt, with Francois van Wyk getting a start at tighthead and Dayne ‘Danger’ Jans getting a run at hooker.

Amongst the replacements, meanwhile, Neil Rautenbach, Schroeder and Paul Cohen will make their first appearances, whilst Adriaan Botha, James Kilroe and Greg Mallett drop down to the bench after last week’s 15-29 defeat to FNB UJ.

The FNB UCT team: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Damian de Allende, 13 Tiger Bax, 12 Michael Morris, 11 Mark Winter, 10 Nick Holton, 9 Liam Slatem, 8 Rayn Smid, 7 Zandy Macdonald, 6 Ntsolo Setlaba (captain), 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Brad Bosman, 3 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Wes Chetty.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Adriaan Botha, 18 James Kilroe, 19 Greg Mallett, 20 Ricky Schroeder, 21 Paul Cohen, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 Digby Webb.

Head coach: Kevin Foote

Date: Monday, February 20
Venue: TUT Stadium, Tshwane
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: Tiaan Jonker
Assistant referees: Lihan Pretorius, Quinton van Huysteen