Addition of Boks isn’t too disruptive to Province, says Dobson
wynona.louw@inl.co.za WESTERN PROVINCE coach John Dobson says the addition of some of their Springboks into their line-up for their home game against Griquas tomorrow (7.30 pm kickoff) isn’t too disruptive.
It’s not often that the injection of a few Bok players into your matchday squad for Currie Cup duty can be seen as a disruption as opposed to a boost, but the momentum Province have built up, in addition to the pressure the shortened format brings, does influence the tipping scale a bit. But there are some changes to a team that have been on the rampage in the first half of the competition as Bongi Mbonambi, Wilco Louw, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Damian Willemse have all been released from the Bok squad and are joined in the starting line-up by a fit-again JJ Engelbrecht.
Mbonambi and Louw join Alistair Vermaak in the front row, with Caylib Oosthuizen, Scarra Ntubeni and Michael Kumbirai on the bench.
Former SA Schools captain Salmaan Moerat partners captain Chris van Zyl in the second row, while Notshe links up with Kobus van Dyk and Juarno Augustus in the loose trio.
In the backline there are three changes to the team that thrashed the Golden Lions last week. Scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies will make his first start of the season, while Engelbrecht and Willemse come in on the left wing and fullback respectively.
Justin Phillips, Dan du Plessis and Dillyn Leyds will provide backline cover on the bench.
“The only sort-of voluntary one (change) was JD Schickerling sitting out, but the rest – when you get four or five guys from the Springboks, we have to accommodate them,” Dobson said.
“There isn’t a decision to be made about that (including your Boks). And obviously it is a massive boost for our team. But Salmaan, Ernst and Chris all need rugby.
“The problem with this competition is, it is such a short competition ... it isn’t fair that we don’t give Herschel or Justin Phillips any game time so hopefully the injection of the Springboks may offset any loss of rhythm there.”
Willemse will start at fullback in the place of Leyds, and during the team announcement yesterday, Dobson said that Willemse starting at 15 with Josh Stander at No 10 could bring some excitement in front of their home crowd.
“It sounds like we are trying to claim credit which we are not, but last year we played him at (No) 15 and he was at 15 in that final, and was very good. The way 10s and 15s are playing now ... if you watch Wasps, or in England, so often those 15s are in the first receiver role in that second and third phase. That combination should be quite exciting,” Dobson said.
“We need to build depth at (No) 10, because at the moment Josh Stander is the only out-and-out 10 if Damian goes back to the Boks.
“You know, if we lost a JD or Dillyn Leyds it would have a big impact on our campaign. There are a lot of players not on this list – guys like SP Marais, Jano Vermaak, EW Viljoen who are all on strength, so it will be problematic to choose for the Bulls game.”
The other exciting prospect the WP coach is looking forward to Jantjies.
“He is such an exciting prospect. He is very similar to Jano as in he is a very fast clearer of the ball,” Dobson said.”