Bosch up there among the best, says Cronje

CURWIN Bosch will not remember the 2021 Currie Cup campaign fondly, so far, but the man who displaced him as flyhalf at the Sharks, Lionel Cronje, predicts that Bosch will bounce back.

A month ago, Bosch was directing the Sharks traffic at No 10 when they squandered a plethora of scoring opportunities in a home defeat to Griquas, and the price he paid was a backward movement to fullback. Cronje, who is on loan to the Sharks from Toyota Verblitz, came in at flyhalf and has been in good form but Bosch went into a fortnight of Covid-19 isolation and only last week, against Western Province, saw action in the No 15 jersey.

Bosch had a good game in a position he occupied many times when Robert du Preez was Sharks coach.

“I mentioned before he made his Springbok debut (against Argentina) in 2017 that Curwin is a very talented rugby player,” said Cronje.

“We just need to keep backing him and developing the areas he needs work on. He has the kind of talent that we should cherish. His kicking is phenomenal, if not the best in the country, and his attacking abilities are second to none.

“His communication skills are up there. There’s no reason he can't become a household name at Springbok level.

The 32-year-old Cronje has played all over the world, including at the Brumbies where he learned from legends George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, and he warns that South Africa is often impatient with prodigies such as Bosch.

“We’re so spoilt for talent in SA, and our supporters are so critical that we expect young talents to be at a certain level at 21, 22, 23, whereas some guys only come into their own at 24, 25, 26,” Cronje said.

“Morne Steyn is a good example of that. He was 24 when he made his Springbok debut, but he was at the Bulls honing his craft before then.

“Curwin has played nearly 100 games for the Sharks (Super Rugby and Currie Cup), and he’s only 24, but there are concerns about his development.

“We need to keep trusting that development and talent and not be so outcome-driven in terms of chasing results.”

Bosch will have a further opportunity to showcase his talent and indeed turn around his Currie Cup campaign when the Sharks host Griquas in Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final.