EP U21s face tough bunch
HEAD coach Darron Nell says the EP Kings U21 team will have their work cut out if they want to beat the Leopards in a Currie Cup match at Framesby High School today (kick-off 3pm).
After a narrow 23-21 win over the Sharks in Durban in the last outing, EP will be looking for more log points against a Leopards outfit who are still winless after three outings.
“This Leopards side are a bunch of big boys and they give the ball some air. We are expecting them to throw it around a bit,” Nell said.
“In defence, they get off the line quite hard and we have worked hard on a few things to combat that.
“They are a good side and they had a good game against the Sharks last week when they just went down.
“So we will have our work cut out against the Leopards. But, if we control the things we have been working on, I believe we will have a positive result.”
Nell says the EP team have real passion and they have de- veloped a good culture.
“There is strong leadership in this group with captain Jeremy Ward and vice-captain Lusanda Badiyana leading from the front.
“The team showed charac- ter against the Sharks and that was what pulled them through. I don’t think we played our best rugby in Durban.
“We have worked on things to sort that out and I think it will go better against the Leopards.”
The EP U19 side also face the Leopards at the same venue ( kick-off 1pm). EP U21: David Murray, JP Jamieson, Roche van Zyl, Wynand Grassmann, Gerrit Huisamen, Jayson Reinecke, Robert Lyons, Justin Hollis, Sbu Ngcokovane, Garrick Mattheus, Lindelwe Zungu, Jeremy Ward, Somila Jho, Keanu Vers, Malcolm Jaer. Replacements: Jedwyn Harty, NJ Oosthuizen, Wihan Coetzer, Hayden Tharratt, Luvo Claassen, Michael Brink, Mabhutana Peter. EP U19 : CJ van Niekerk, Andre Lategan, Dylan Barendse, Janse Roux, Ruben le Roux, Duan du Plessis, Michael de Marco, Mylo Sadiki, Yomi Keswa, Morgan Steyn, Yaw Penxe, Malan Marais, Jonathan Booysen, Victor Foster, Courtney Winnaar. Replacements: Grant Venter, Sive Mazosiwe, Daniel Voigt, Liam Blake-Taylor, Lutho Selem Louis Strydom, Siba Mzanywa, Riaan van Rensburg.
If we control the things we have been working on, I believe we will have a positive result