Dobson living the dream by coaching the blue and white
NEW Western Province coach John Dobson joked that his doctor may have to prescribe something for the nerves ahead of his team’s Currie Cup opener against Griquas this afternoon.
Dobson has swiftly made his way up the WP ranks over the last few years, winning three titles with the Province Under21s and the Vodacom Cup side. However, the former hooker describes this afternoon’s match in Kimberley as the biggest of his career, because “it is a dream come true”.
“I grew up watching this team, so to coach the blue-andwhite stripes ... I have done a couple of Under-21 finals and a few Vodacom Cup finals, but this is the biggest game of my career against Griquas in a round one game. It may sound strange, but it’s true,” Dobson told the Cape Times.
“I have spent a lot of time coaching at youth level, and to walk into a changeroom with Juan de Jongh, Jano Vermaak, and Jean de Villiers for a while, it’s been fantastic.”
But Dobson will be under a lot of pressure early on, as WP are the defending champions after beating the Lions in dramatic fashion at Newlands last year. He knows anything except a place in the final will be seen as a failure, with WP president Thelo Wakefield recently saying a Currie Cup title is nonnegotiable for WP.
“It’s not a good time to take over, isn’t it?” the jovial Dobson joked. “We should have come seventh last year so that I can be the great redeemer! As I said to the president, I can only mess it up!
“So you can’t go and lose your first game, and then people would say ‘what were you guys thinking’. So the doc is going to prescribe something (for the nerves)!”
Dobson was roped in by then Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus to coach the Under21s following his successful stint with the Ikey Tigers, which included a Varsity Cup title in 2011.
“I just got lucky to get involved in Western Province,” Dobson said.
“At that stage I was the only guy responding to Rassie’s emails, because he was asking for player feedback. Because I was such a suck-up, I did it! And then they appointed me as the Under 21-coach.”
According to Dobson, the Currie Cup is certainly going to be lot more open this year following a poor Super Rugby campaign by South Africa’s other rugby powerhouses, the Bulls and the Sharks.
But the smaller unions like Griquas and the Pumas will also be in contention, as they will look to take advantage of the bigger unions’ depleted resources because of the World Cup. “The Lions were very good last year, but I think this year it’s going to be a bit different, because the Bulls and the Sharks are both looking at the Currie Cup as a Super Rugby redemption,” Dobson said.
“The Bulls haven’t made a Currie Cup final for six or seven years, and that is a grotesque under-achievement for a union like them. And Franco (Smith) is doing a great job at the Cheetahs.
“It’s going to be a lot tougher than last season where there were two clear bolters. It’s a really open Currie Cup.” TEAMS FOR KIMBERLEY Griquas: 15 Gouws Prinsloo, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Ntabeni Dukisa, 10 Riaan Viljoen, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Carel Greeff, 7 Nardus van der Walt, 6 RJ Liebenberg, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Jonathan Adendorf, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 AJ le Roux, 1 Danie Mienie. 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Stephan Kotze, 18 Jaco Nepgen, 19 Leon Karemaker, 20 Rudi van Rooyen, 21 Jacquin Jansen, 22 Ngcobo Sandile. Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble. 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Chris van Zyl, 19 Chris Cloete, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Johnny Kotze, 23 Charlie van Jaarsveld. Referee: Jaco Peyper. TV: SS1, SS HD1 3.30pm