PE trip a chance for WP players to ‘bond and have a little bit of fun’
WESTERN PROVINCE will wrap up their pre-season schedule with a scrimmage against the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday (kick-off 7pm), and coach John Dobson is hopeful that a raft of changes will produce a positive result for the reigning Currie Cup champions.
“We were obviously very disappointed with last weekend’s defeat to the Pumas,” the WP coach said yesterday from the team’s training-camp base in Plettenberg Bay. “But with a more experienced team this weekend we hope to address those shortcomings and take a big step forward in our preparations, with the start of the Currie Cup some two weeks away.”
Province made little forward progress against the Pumas in a 19-6 reverse at the Drakenstein Correctional Centre last week.
Hooker Michael Willemse broke down with a serious ankle injury that is expected to keep him on the sidelines for at least two months, and the WP lineout failed to launch in his absence.
Dobson has limited stocks in that position – with Scarra Ntubeni on Springbok duty, and Willemse injured, Stormers cannonball Bongi Mbonambi and WP U21 Chad Solomon are the de facto matchday hookers.
Solomon replaced Willemse against the Pumas but Mbonambi has been tipped to feed the lineout this week in his first Currie Cup action for Province since leaving the Bulls at the end of last season.
Mbonambi will likely be part of a stronger supporting cast, including the pack con- tingent of enforcer Rynhardt Elstadt and jumper Ruan Botha, with WP captain Juan de Jongh and Bok captain Jean de Villiers on track to sprinkle the back line with some stardust.
Dillyn Leyds (hamstring) and Johnny Kotze (ankle) will not feature among the backs this week, but both are expected to be ready for the start of the Currie Cup competition.
Province commence their campaign on August 7 against the winner of the current qualifying competition – Griquas hold a slender lead in the race for the vacant berth in the premier domestic championship.
“Trips like this are always a great opportunity for the guys to bond and have a little bit of fun, but with Saturday’s match in PE there has been a big focus on rugby specifics,” added Dobson.
“We will be playing a much stronger team this week, having given some younger guys a run against the Pumas.”
The Kings hosted the Blue Bulls in a 33-10 loss at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last week.
Province will bus to Port Elizabeth tomorrow; the team is scheduled to be announced today.