Province all set to polish Du Preez
WESTERN PROVINCE’S faith in young flyhalf Robert du Preez may pay off big time over the next few years.
It’s the sort of investment Heyneke Meyer should have done more of during the last four years as Springbok coach. He didn’t quite do it, and Meyer paid the price by losing to the mighty Japan in a World Cup match.
The bigger picture for the union is to groom Du Preez for next year’s Super Rugby competition. But, in the meantime, they also want to do well in the Currie Cup and do everything to defend their crown.
Kurt Coleman’s calf injury has given Du Preez a chance to show his mettle, and he has caught the eye with two top performances against the Sharks and the Bulls.
But he is still a rough diamond who needs to be polished and carefully looked after, because, by this time next year, he could well be a valuable asset for the Stormers and Western Province.
“We are happy with Rob’s performances so far,” WP attack coach Dawie Snyman said yesterday.
“Going up to the Sharks, his first start in that position (in the Currie Cup), he did really well. As a youngster, he really took control and made good decisions on the field. He did the same here at Newlands when we had a pressure game against the Bulls.”
But the young Du Preez, who was named after his dad, former Springbok scrumhalf Robert du Preez, is still prone to a few lapses in concentration. He has kicked a few restarts out on the full – some that have even cost WP points
Rob is a confident player and he plays with a lot of confidence. Even when he makes one or two mistakes, he doesn’t drop his head or go into a negative spiral”
against the Sharks and the Bulls. He can also do better as far as his goal kicking is concerned.
But those things also haven’t got the better of him mentally. It’s a sign of a player who possesses more than just a touch of class, but a guy who actually backs himself to came back harder and stronger.
That also comes from being backed as a player, and maybe something that Western Province and the Stormers neglected to do when it came to Coleman, who is top a talent, but a player who hasn’t had a string of games to build his confidence.
“Rob is a confident player and he plays with a lot of confidence. Even when he makes one or two mistakes, he doesn’t drop his head or go into a negative spiral,” Snyman said.
“It was quite pleasing to see that when he made a few mistakes, he just got back onto the horse and made sure that he executes the next thing he needs to do. If he keeps building rhythm ... I’m excited about him.”
Du Preez came up with a few lovely passes in the first 10 minutes against the Bulls to create space for centres Huw Jones and Johnny Kotze to score.
Because he is a big lad, he looks rather awkward and cumbersome with the ball in his hand, but he does possess a sweet pass and the ability to attack the line with some venom and get some momentum through the middle.
But for many people it’s the maturity that he has showed over the last two weeks that stands out. He looks like he belongs at this level. “Because he is well-rounded, it makes him a good player. He is physical and he has got a good passing game. He can take it to the line and can create space. He also has good distance on his kicks,” Snyman said.
“But one of his main attributes is his organisation. He is a great communicator on the field and he organises the forwards well. He actually listens to guys like Dillyn (Leyds) and Cheslin (Kolbe) on the outside. When they call for the ball, they want specific options to be played, and Rob is a guy that makes sure that he gets the information through to the No 9 to get these guys into space.” This weekend’s fixtures Friday: Sharks v Bulls, Kings Park (8pm). Saturday: Cheetahs v Lions, Free State Rugby Stadium (1pm) WP v Pumas, Newlands (3:30pm), Kings v Griquas (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (3:30pm)