Dobson wants his players to work harder
– Western Province coach John Dobson says he expects a much higher work-rate from his team in their clash with the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Following their disappointing Currie Cup defeat to the Free State Cheetahs at Newlands last week, Dobson’s men have focused on improving their intensity and their attacking shape, as they did not play with enough width against the Bloemfontein side.
“For some of the players their work-rate was poor and we got very narrow on attack.
“We have been working on our attacking shape, and making sure we get a lot wider which will make us harder to defend against,” said Dobson.
The Province coach has welcomed a number of players back into the fold this week, with the likes of Oli Kebble and Dan du Plessis returning from injury, while Olympic Sevens stars Cheslin Kolbe and Werner Kok are expected to challenge for places.
“Obviously, a guy like Cheslin Kolbe is fully integrated now, Oli Kebble is back from injury, Werner Kok is with us and Dan du Plessis is back from injury, so our playing roster is looking good.
“Nizaam Carr is another two weeks off full fitness, but otherwise, we are OK,” said Dobson.
Dobson was impressed with the heart the EP Kings showed against the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld last week, and acknowledged that his team would have to raise their intensity significantly if they are to earn their first victory of the Currie Cup campaign.
“They play a chaos game – they are in your faces, they have got amazing energy. To go to Loftus and run like they ran, their GPS stats must have been staggering.
“A desperate team is always dangerous, it makes them run a bit harder and a bit faster. So suddenly this game has taken a more serious turn than it might have,” he said.
However, considering their disappointing start to the season, Dobson said a win in Port Elizabeth was essential to keep his team’s hopes of a place in the semifinals alive.
“We can’t take any chances, and we have to win every single game now to be sure of a play-off spot,” he added. – ANA