Province pack catalyst for win
WE DIDN’T EXPECT TO BE SO DOMINANT
Western Province coach John Dobson said it was obvious the battle of the front rows would have a vital role to play in the outcome of the Currie Cup final against the Sharks at the weekend, but not even they expected the degree of dominance they enjoyed in that set-piece.
Coupled with their dominance of the gain-line, it meant the superb Western Province pack laid the foundation for their convincing 33-21 win over the hosts at King’s Park, the scoreline being an accurate reflection of the game.
The first scrum of the match, with the Sharks deep on attack, resulted in a tighthead and at practically every scrum thereafter, the Sharks were going backwards, and even on the one occasion they got the shove on the opposition, it still ended in a try for the visitors as No 8 Nizaam Carr broke blind and set up fellow loose forward Cobus Wiese for the touchdown that cut the deficit to one point after the home side had led 21-10 just before half-time.
“We knew the scrums would be important, but we didn’t expect to be so dominant. But that first scrum was a big marker for the game, when we destroyed them.
“The Sharks are also a tough side to play against when they’re carrying the ball, but our defence was very good on the gain-line, we stopped their momentum and we didn’t see their big carriers get a lot of yards,” Dobson said after securing Western Province’s 34th outright Currie Cup title.
Flyhalf Robert du Preez took firm control of the game in the second half, with Western Province scoring 18 unanswered points, and Dobson praised him and centre Huw Jones, who scored two tries.
“Robert and Huw have been incredible in the last few weeks. The leadership of Nizaam Carr and Chris van Zyl has also been vital,” Dobson said.