Keep an eye on these 7 players
THE fact that we’ll be seeing some local action from next month is exciting given the rugby deficiency we’ve had over the past few months. But just to add to that anticipation a little more, here are seven players – one from each team to participate in the domestic competition – to look forward to once we finally get back onto the field.
Stormers: Warrick Gelant
The man has big shoes to fill. Following the departure of the talismanic Dillyn Leyds, the Loftus recruit has yet to make his Stormers/Western Province debut, and while he is by no means a slacker when it comes to delivering the goods on attack (and from both boots), it’ll be good to see how he slots in down in the Mother City and if he can be an attacking catalyst here, a la Leyds. I can only imagine, though, that he won’t have too much trouble settling into one of SA’s most promising backlines.
Bulls: Jason
Jenkins
While he’s returning to Pretoria on a shortterm loan, the towering lock can certainly add a lot to the
Bulls’ forward operations during the domestic competition.
He’s a unit of a man and, considering that a good portion of SA’s premier locks are on the crocked list, he might just play with a little extra motivation.
Lions: Rabz Maxwane
He knows how to sniff out the whitewash. But how he will fare at the Lions after little time spent within the field of play in the last year after falling out of favour with the Cheetahs coaches remains to be seen. The ability, however, is there. In his first full Pro14 season the speedster scored 14 tries to equal the record of former Scotland wing Tim Visser.
Sharks: Manie Libbok
If you had to completely disregard all that balling ability, the pivot’s move to Durban alone makes him one to watch. Now, the list of opinions on Libbok’s time with the Bulls is probably not the shortest of scribbles, but one thing can be said with confidence – if he’s going to make it anywhere, it’s going to be at the Sharks.
Cheetahs: Junior Pokomela
Calling him ‘one to watch’ probably doesn’t do him a helluva lot of justice – we’ve seen what he can do. There’s obviously that defensive ability, but how about those big carries and audacious offloads from the tightest of spaces? The talented back rower has physical presence, and the knack for manoeuvring like a winger.
Pumas: Jeandre Rudolph
He’s what some would call a Varsity Cup legend, but will that be enough when he goes up against the big boys? He had a massive season in 2019 and showed his worth as a linking player when he wore the No 8 jersey
Griquas: Johan Momsen
The former Maties captain will be keen to make his mark outside of Varsity rugby. The 2019 Western Province Club Player of the Year will play a big role for a Griquas side that’ll be eager to show that the SuperSport Challenge isn’t the only domain in which they can shine.