Allister Coetzee
Opening a three-point gap atop the Currie Cup log, after a tightly contested 23-18 victory over a much-improved Blue Bulls side at Loftus Versfeld gave Western Province coach Allister Coetzee a lot to smile about.
“We are very happy with the win, we were up against a desperate Bulls side and they showed the way they came out tonight and they really came at us,” Coetzee said.
“It is a massive win for us, to come out here at altitude to beat the Bulls with a relatively young side and it is the first time that they’ve lost at Loftus this year.”
Sport24
The Capetonians had been the pace-setting team since the start of Currie Cup, winning four matches on the trot with the team showing superb balance in attack and defence.
Key to Province’s victory was the exhilarating performance by their back three of Cheslin Kolbe, Kobus van Wyk and leading destroyer Seabelo Senatla.
The winger deservedly earned the man-of-the-match accolade scoring a scintillating individual try, while he had a major hand in Van Wyk’s try.
“It is a massive win for us, there is no negotiating of our defence but the transformation from defence to attack is the secret.”
“I think we’ve got the players to do that, Juan de Jongh, Cheslin Kolbe they switch on to that.
Coetzee praised his halfbacks for providing width and the communication out in the wide channels.
“We are really happy with the win, there were still a lot of mistakes, but it is a tight team that can pull it through.”
It could easily have been a victory for the Light Blues as they turned in their best performance since the start of the competition.
At the death the Bulls made a serious assault on the Province line but in an attempt to get quick ball to the wing, centre William-Small Smith knocked the ball to bring the match to an end.
Although Bulls coach Frans Ludeke was disappointed with the defeat he was satisfied with the improvements his charges had shown.
“Credit to the players it was a huge improvement from the last few days,” Ludeke said.
“That is the way we can get to consistently winning, so there are a lot of positives we can take from this.
The tough encounter was won and lost in the second half, he said.
“At crucial times in that second half we lost momentum because I thought that we almost got control in the game.
“We got the lead on the board but we just did not to exit well enough and gave them that soft moment straight after that.”
The momentum swung in the Bulls’ favour minutes after the break when flanker Jacques du Plessis scored a converted try.
Province, however, scored two tries in quick succession before the Bulls launched a fight back which saw them come within a whisker of claiming the victory.
“The huge positive was the way that the team played for 80 minutes and there were a few youngsters that came though tonight and showed their class,” Ludeke said.
“They also played well tonight and that is why they won, we were maybe one pass away from a win so we didn’t get it but we will keep on working hard and improve every week.”
Coetzee sympathised with the Bulls after a few scoring chances went a begging for the hosts and believed the result could have gone a different way had they converted them.
“We played for about 30 minutes before we got the first penalty, it shows how tight it was, there was no quarter given and no quarter asked,” he said.
“If they played like this at the start of the competition I think they would have had more points on the log.”
Great day out at Loftus with great RT mates.
Dull first half, but some great tries in the second half by both sides.
Relieved and happy with the win, closer than I thought, but 4 away points at Loftus is nothing to sneeze at.
Bulls gave it to Province, some massive hits on the Province players.
Senatla just keeps on impressing, what a player. Hope his injury isn’t too serious
Quote of the day:
Atlas: “R150 bucks a ticket?? Give back the money!!!!”
Legend!
Stormersboy wrote:
He was on song yesterday
“Coetzee sympathised with the Bulls after a few scoring chances went a begging for the hosts”
i can take the loss, damn Ludeke just go away.
getting sympathy from a WP coach is the last straw.
Hell man…
@ superBul:
Frans says that the Bulls are on the right track
I hope you guys had fun – well done to the PW… 😉
I only left work after 18:00, so it was futile for me to go.
There is always a next time…
I’m always surprised when people find positives from losses.
We always new the Bulls would be up for the fight, especially at Loftus…
@ nortierd:
If you look at the Puma players they looked like a well coached team, doing their thing fast and accurate. Bulle nie, hulle het wel n paar sterk persoonlike vertonings gehad en doer teen die einde het hulle soos n span begin lyk. Maar toe is Greyling se go uitgespeel.
Baie goeie driee deur WP gedruk, Geluk met n goeie wen.
Vir FL om iets teen homself te se sal seker te veel gevra wees, wens iemand fire hom en kry klaar
6 @ Gumboots:
Was good fun, pity you couldn’t make it, but, as you say, next time.
7 @ superBul:
Was maar n gesloeg om die wen te kry, gedink die Bulle het goed gespeel.
Op Loftus is hulle n moeilike span om te klop
@ Gumboots:
You must definitely join us next time. It’s a great vibe at Loftus – well, the weepians make it so and there were plenty of us. Was great to have a few scoops with our fellow RT mates as well.
Can’t remember when I last went to Loftus and saw Province lose 😀
@ IAAS:
We need a few more Bulls as well, poor Atlas was fighting a lone battle 😀
@ nortierd:
He put up a brave fight – good to see him again. And also meet GBS for the first time.
@ IAAS:
Was good to see him, love the Welsh jersey he brought me
Was really an enjoyable game, but on days like those, the rugby is secondary to me, it’s about the “kuier” and lekker company
And, lest we forget, the lone Brumbie supporter who got lost on his way to Canberra 🙂
Interesting pic – has Coetzee seen a ghost? He looks very pale.
IAAS wrote:
Is GBS a real person? I was under the impression that he was just an internet cnut?
@ Just For Kicks:
Ha ha JFK
File pic, maybe it was from a “less happy” day?
So PdV at last found his match in mumbling nonsense?
😆
Hondo wrote:
If you want to see mumbling nonsense, check out Jonathan on the 10 hilarious stories comments 😉
@ nortierd:
send the link?
Hondo wrote:
@ nortierd:
That’s a good one,
shoots down few reputations 😆 😆 😆
@ nortierd:
Just as Good as Schuster and Co
A great dry, Piercing SA humor
Thanks to all the Rugby-Talkers who attended at Loftus and who had a great time with us at Trademarx before and after the game!
Nortie & Mrs Nortels, HAAS and Mrs Haas, Stormpoppieboykie and his business partner, Atlas, Ponyman!
Was good indeed, nice to put some faces next to the names… and all great fellas & flatties!!!
Next time we make it bigger, with Gummi Berry Juice & Pantoffeltjie, Gena and Mrs Gena… and hopefully some other muppits too!
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