Western Province’s preparations for their opening 2014 Currie Cup game have been hamstrung by the timing of the Springbok squad announcement which will be made in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Several Province players are expected to be named in the national squad which will play in the Rugby Championship next month and that will rule them out for Currie Cup duty.
Players like Jean de Villiers, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Juan de Jongh, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Nazeem Carr, Eben Etzebeth and Pat Cilliers are all strong contenders.
Province coach Allister Coetzee said it was not yet possible to decide on a team captain.
Coetzee had the Province squad working out on Tuesday at Langa, as part of the rugby union’s community outreach programme.
“There’s no point in naming the captain at this stage because he might be taken up by the Boks, and then we’ll be forced to look for another,” Coetzee said.
“I also don’t know just how the team for the opening game will look like but at this stage I’m sitting with a whole lot of selection permutations.”
“I’m happy when players make the Bok squad but when I have my WP cap on, I also wish they can play for us.”
Loose forwards Burger and Vermeulen were rested on Tuesday as well as centre Juan de Jongh, who is nursing a bump on his right knee.
Lock Ruan Botha was recovering from a knee injury and will undergo scans on Wednesday to determine his condition.
Prop Malherbe has recovered fully after a protracted lay-off because of concussion.
“It has required a massive effort from our medical team to ensure that players are ready for Currie Cup duty,” said Coetzee.
“Etzebeth has worked hard to regain fitness and he’s ready to play. I would like to see him work on his match fitness by playing for us before the Boks call him up.”
“Malherbe has now reached a stage where he can take full contact and he too could do with match action ahead of a call-up.”
There are, however, a few players returning from injury will be considered for the opening match in 10 days time, Port Elizabeth.
They include hooker Scarra Ntubeni, prop Oliver Kebble, centre Damian de Allende, locks Jurie van Vuuren and Rhynardt Elstadt. These players could come into the reckoning for selection when WP plays the Bulls later in August.
The former Bishops schoolboy, Dillyn Leyds, a versatile backline player who spent the past Super Rugby season with the Aussie outfit Western Force, will return to Western Province in two weeks time.
Province, last season’s losing finalists, play the Eastern Province Kings at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth on August 8 in the opening match of the competition.
Seriously Allister?
Take a leaf out the Sharks’ book and appoint someone who WILL feature in all the CC games (fitness permitting)
Typical Province mentality, Dobson should have been appointed CC coach, he would have built a team without the Boks already and would have been ready to go.
I’m so gatvol of this ineptness, we had to endure it all through the SR, and now it’s already spilled over to the CC, even before the start of the tournament.
Alister is probably still in mourning or denial because his favourite player ( Peter Grant) has deserted him and therefore he sounds so dazed and confused.
I wont be surprised if he makes Louis Schreuder the captain despite him not being the best scrumhalf in the team.
jean de villiers a springbok contender? Wow really?
why cant AC look for another captain if the player gets called up? will it be too much of an unconvinience or are there fewer candidates this time around with deon gone? just like the tjarks.
too be honest I think heyneke and the bok management needs to take the blame. they know who is in the squad and should at least communicate with the provincial coaches to make them know what players will he available to them.
Make de Jongh Captain.
We know he won’t be needed by the Boks and he’s the best dancer in the team.
@ gunther:
true if serfontein is fit with jdv and de allende. Then all jdj will be doing in the RC is practice his dancing moves.
If Scarra is made captain, does that mean AC is looking for compliments from the ANC as well?
Perhaps AC is looking for a Bok coaching role as well?
@ John Galt:
AC just has to worry about Thelo and the Ravensmead mafia.
@ gunther:
Jeez, imagine having to deal with that lot?
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