Marco Botha
Cape Town – Former Springbok wing Chester Williams on Monday started the Herculean task of bringing stability to Boland’s Currie Cup campaign.
Williams has been appointed director of coaching at Boland for the rest of the Currie Cup and the period involving the play-offs.
Boland president Francois Davids said that they hoped his experience of coaching in the Super12, Currie Cup and the Springbok sevens team would improve the team’s fortunes.
The Cavaliers have won only one of their nine games to date in this year’s Currie Cup. Injuries, illness and a lack of experience played a part, but it won’t do as excuses when Boland have to protect their Premier League status in a promotion-relegation play-off.
Boland are likely to face the Pumas in the promotion-relegation tie and significantly more clinical performances will be called for.
Deon Davids coached the South African Emerging team with Williams last year, and they should therefore understand one another’s coaching styles.
Furthermore, three of the Boland’s key players – Jacobie Adriaanse (tighthead prop), Janro van Niekerk (loosehead prop) and Zolani Mofu (openside flank) were members of the Emerging team.
“We are not doubting the coaching ability of Deon and Louis Koen, but we’re simply bringing in another rugby brain to strengthen our coaching team,” said Davids.
With regards Williams’ future at Boland, Davids said it could be dependent on whether they manage to hold onto their Premier League status.
Davids will also shortly meet the management of Boland schools rugby to review the structures. Their U18 Craven Week side was unbeaten last year, but have been brought down to earth hard this season.
The U21 side has also won only one of their seven games in the Absa series.
Chester doesn’t exactly have a great record when it comes to coaching in the 15-man code. He struggled as coach of the Pumas in the Curry Cup and the Cats in the S12. His Sevens coaching results weren’t as bad but he never won the series as Paul Treu eventually did after he took over from Chester.
This time he is back as the Director of Coaching and not as the coach where Deon Davids will still take charge. Maybe this role would suit him better? However, from what I hear Boland barely has enough money to pay the players and travel fees to away fixtures. Do they have money to have a Director of Rugby and a coach?
This could be Chester’s opportunity to revive his career and prove himself as an astute rugby coach.
Answer is NO, Chester can’t.
Boland Union doosn’t have the financial means, and it cannot survive in close proximity with ‘big brother’ WP forever.
Sad, but true.
Time to join forces with SWD/EP.
I remember Boland OP/ SWD besting the All Blacks once, with Giepie Wentzel (Boland fullback) scoring something like 19 points.
Next question, can the Cheetahs beat WP at Bloemfontein?
Yes, they can!
WP Nel/Coenie Bezuidenhout vs Blaauw and Harris, no contest.
Jack/van Zyl vs De Villiers/Breedt, evens.
Loosies, evens.
Backlines, evens.
@Pietman –
I think the score was Boland/OP/SWD 19-AB’s 16, anybody remembers that game?
Heng, ek gaan wragtag binnekort 10 posts slaan as dit so aangaan !
Only Ashley can save Boland!
Chester cannot save Boland……..this year at least
Time to join the Maties !!! They will save Boland , instead of us losing all these players to the other provinces we should be trying to get them to play for the Boland/Maties , imagine if the maties can play in the CC.
“WP Nel/Coenie Bezuidenhout vs Blaauw and Harris, no contest” – Haa haa , ons praat weer Maandag ou boet !! Watch Blaauw claim another scalp , said it the very first time I saw him play, he is one for the future and can only get better !!
As for the rest without brussouw we win the loosies department and for that matter the lock department , pity Jack is leaving
I see Morgan newman is out for 6 months
Hopefully they will play De Jongh at 12 and Welsh at 13. What about getting De Wet up from PE ?? He is available I hear.
Boland is going down – and it is sad – but true. Maybe they will save themself in the relegation matches – but nothing more.
I rate Coenie from the Cheetahs – he is going to become a BIG loosehead one day.
@sparty – 6 blaaw gaan nel se bunny wees saterdag hy gaan hom eet soos n mielie
Vrystaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!
@smallies72 – Better men have tried before and failed miserably !!! Ons praat weer Maandag !!
6@sparty –
Any witnesses who heard you say that? 😉
@sparty – nel is the better man eos
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