Hooker Bongi Mbonambi has a 50-50 chance of being available for Western Province’s Currie Cup opener against Griquas in Kimberley this Friday.

Mbonambi has a hamstring niggle, and as a result SWD Eagles hooker Marius Fourie has joined the squad to bolster WP’s hooking resources. Charlie van Jaarsveld, who featured for the Vodacom Cup team earlier this season, is also back in the selection mix.

WP U21 hooker Chad Solomon picked up a slight neck injury against the Lions this past weekend and will not be considered for selection.

Coach John Dobson said the ongoing injury concerns at hooker were extremely frustrating.

‘Since Super Rugby we have lost Scarra Ntubeni [who is with the Springboks] and Michael Willemse [injured] and then Neil Rautenbach is with the Cheetahs.

'Bongi is in doubt, he’s 50-50, and you throw in Chad who cannot train until Thursday, and we now have five guys out from the start of the year.

‘That’s why Marius and Charlie are with us at training. It’s a flashpoint at the moment [the injury crisis at hooker] and we are going to have to do some extra lineout work in a short week.’

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