Veteran lock Anton van Zyl
Former DHL Western Province captain Anton van Zyl is set for a shock return to the team after an absence of four years as the Absa Currie Cup log leaders seek a way to protect their stocks ahead of the play-off phase of the competition.
Van Zyl, known as Worms by his friends, finished off a stint with Stade de Francais a few months ago and is back living in Cape Town. He last played for WP in the 2010 Currie Cup final, and last played for the Stormers in the 2011 season.
He attended a Province training session on Tuesday as the Cape side prepares for the clash with the Cell C Sharks this weekend, and according to WP sources, is in the reckoning to play in the game.
SuperSport
It may sound like a bizarre move by WP to bring back a player from the distant past for what will be a one-off appearance. Van Zyl, who also played for the Lions during his South African career, cannot play in the semifinals as the cut-off date for players to sign up with a union and be eligible for the play-offs has already been passed.
However, it could well be a stroke of genius, as WP have massive injury problems at lock at present, and playing Van Zyl could enable Rynhardt Elstadt to move to blindside flank for Michael Rhodes. Rhodes would surely be one of the players Province would want to be resting in a game where the hosts have nothing to gain as they have already clinched top place on the final log.
WP coach Allister Coetzee has expressed an intention to rotate selections this week. He refuses to use the word rest, but in a sense that is effectively what he will be looking to do, although there is a more pressing need to “protect” key players ahead of the play-offs.
With Jean Kleyn doubtful for the semi-final and Ruan Botha already ruled out for the rest of the season, it would not help WP for one of the remaining locks to be injured in this weekend’s game, as it would leave them short of experience.
Under-21 player Jurie van Vuuren was on the bench last week and might well play this week, but regardless of whether he starts or plays off the bench, WP can do with some experience in a side that looks likely to be very young, with several of the fringe players who either still qualify for age-group rugby or have just graduated from age-group rugby getting a turn to start.
Tiaan Liebenberg, the veteran hooker who is over his injury problems, is likely to return to the starting team even though he has had no recent game time. The introduction of an experience quotient to the WP pack will limit the likelihood of the Streeptruie being outplayed, which would be a bad result for confidence ahead of the play-offs even if it wouldn’t have any impact on them.
With a few hardened veterans in among the youngsters, WP can ensure that even if they lose the match, they will put up some kind of competitive showing to satisfy the paying patrons at Newlands.
Van Zyl, now heading into the middle part of his fourth decade, captained WP to a second placed log finish in 2010, with Schalk Burger assuming the captaincy when the Springboks returned for the play-offs. WP lost the final that year to the Sharks in Durban. Van Zyl later that year played for Nick Mallett’s Barbarians team in their marquee match against the Springboks at Twickenham and turned in a man-of-the-match performance.
Bizarre move indeed, are they that scared of the Sharks?
I would be very impressed if AC rotates and rests his key players like Juan or Carr, or at least just rotate the bench players with their run on mates.
At the moment WP only have Carizza as a 5 lock in the squad. In the beginning of the year De Kock Steenkamp was still there.
In the mean time the 2 younger locks, Botha and Kleyn have really stepped up and have impressed me a lot but as we know they are injured. Jurie van Vuuren is a mere stand in replacement and IMO is not of provincial quality and definitely not a number 5 lock (but a replacment 4 / 7). He was a member of the U/21 side until recently.
Elstadt and Rhodes are 7 flanks and can play at 4.
All in all I’d say that the involvement of Anton van Zyl is perhaps not a bad move.
AC really has to give De Jongh and Carr a break against the Sharks. Rhodes can do with a break as well – perhaps play him off the bench.
Apparently the Bulls are pushing to have Pollard play this weekend so he qualifies for the finals… Why cant Anton van Zyl play in the play offs?
Van Zyl will be on the bench on Saturday as Province will be fielding a second string side against the champions:
A few of the bench players are complete unknowns to me..they could just as well be from Mars:
15. Dillyn Leyds
14. EW Viljoen (First Absa Currie Cup start for DHL Western Province)
13. Pat Howard
12. Michael van der Spuy
11. Devon Williams (First Absa Currie Cup start for DHL Western Province)
10. Kurt Coleman (vice-captain – 50th cap for DHL Western Province)
9. Louis Schreuder
8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
7. Rynhardt Elstadt
6. Rohan Kitshoff
5. Gerbrandt Grobler
4. Jurie van Vuuren (First Absa Currie Cup start for DHL Western Province)
3. Brok Harris (captain)
2. Tiaan Liebenberg
1. Oli Kebble (First Absa Currie Cup start for DHL Western Province)
Replacements:
16. Neil Rautenbach
17. Justin Ackerman (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL Western Province)
18. Gavin Annandale (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL Western Province)
19. Anton van Zyl
20. Patrick O’Brien (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL Western Province)
21. Godlen Masimla
22. Chevandre van Schoor (On Absa Currie Cup debut for DHL Western Province)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Marc van Zyl
Television Match Official: Shaun Veldsman
Special match officials: The crowd and the TV producer 🙂
CAptain Harris 😀
Lethal center combination, Andries+Sithole vs Van der spuy and Pat Howard, is going to be quite the contest.
Flip, Sarel Pretorius really robbed us of a proper top of the table clash.
Anyway PW earned this, panic is already setting in with some banana boys 😀 they may as well have sent a “B” team as well.
MacroBlouBul wrote:
The backs of Province are not bad with Schreuder and Leyds the only real weaknesses. The forwards are most likely going to get smashed though.
Sharks should sneak this one.
sorry guys… posted this on the first thread…
anyway…
congratulations to Brok…!!
I hate games like this. Sharks should win this but then these WP okes will really go out to prove themselves. It is not inconceivable that the Sharks could get some injuries out of this match as well.
I reckon that the Sharks should just send a second team as well.
@ Snoek:
It is a tough one, Logically you should beat them, the sharks has momentum, Reinach is back and they are playing for the second spot.
But that fear of losing is quite powerful, makes crazy things happen.
Blue Bulls:
15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jono Ross, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann (captain), 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Morné Mellett
Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Wiaan Liebenberg, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Handre Pollard, 22 Jesse Kriel
This Province team gives the Sharks a real crack at getting a home semi which is very dangerous for Province in the long run.
Should the Sharks win that semi and advance to the Final…well…we all know what the Sharks’ recent performance in Finals at Newlands have been.
Makroboktrilbil 🙂
Kry vir jou ‘n LG G3 foon. Jy sal nie spyt wees nie.
Samsung en iPhone dink hulle is die beste maar sit die pot ver mis.
Net soos WP en Bulle wat like om te dink hulle is die beste in SA………
@ Snoek:
@ Snoek:
haha maar iphone and samsung het nommer agter hulle name
marrag marrag marrag
wats julle soe gevrek hie’so
moet ek wee die plek ko liewandag maak?
15 @ Snoek:
3rde keur my S5 skerm gebreuk en moes vir die 3rde een betaal…
EINA. …
18 @ Jeraldjay:
Hehehe
Jaywalker,
Jinne jong jy moenie op jou Samsung Galaxy S5 spring of op hom sit nie, parra!
Fokkie Toggie!
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