Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has kept faith in his starting lineup for Friday’s match against Western Province in Nelspruit.

There are, however, a couple of changes on the bench where Stonehouse has decided to go for a 5-2 forwards split.

Marko Jansen van Vuuren will play his first game of the season off the bench, taking the place of Frankie Herne, while journeyman lock Hilton Lobberts replaces Juandre Rudolph.

Nardus van der Walt takes Rudolph’s place as the loose forward replacement, with replacement flyhalf Justin van Staden making way for him.

Loosehead prop Khwezi Mona will play his 50th game for the union.

Pumas – 15 Gerrit Smith; 14 JP Lewis, 13 Ryan Nell, 12 Hennie Skorbinski (c), 11 Neil Maritz; 10 Christopher Smith, 9 Stefan Ungerer; 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Cameron Lindsay, 4 Le Roux Roets, 3 Marné Coetzee, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Khwezi Mona.
Subs: 16 Marko Jansen van Vuuren, 17 Andrew Beerwinkel, 18 Hugo Kloppers, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Nardus van der Walt, 21 Reynier van Rooyen, 22 Trompie Pretorius.

Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images