Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:54

rugby365 

Western Province officials have dismissed rumours that they are chasing the signatures of the Springbok duo of Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis.

Media reports on Wednesday suggested that the Du Plessis brothers, who are currently on the Sharks’ books, are the next on the shopping list as Newlands officials wave a fat cheque book around.

However, senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus and Rob Wagner, the MD of WP Rugby (Pty) Ltd, rubbished the claims as “pure speculation”.

“We have not approached them, nor have they approached us,” Wagner said in a statement.

The reports claimed that – following Erasmus’s talks with Bok wing Bryan Habana earlier this week – WP officials would make contact with the Du Plessis brothers soon.

The Du Plessis brothers, who joined the Sharks from the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs, are both in the Bok Tri-Nations squad that will assemble in Pretoria on Thursday.

The Boks are due to fly to Perth on Monday ahead of next Saturday’s Test against Australia.

‘Emotional leader’ sparks Province pack

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:00

Christiaan Rudolph Liebenberg, or Tiaan to the uninformed, is an uncapped Springbok and a member of the Emerging Springbok team that played to a draw against the British and Irish Lions earlier this year.

That, alone, should be enough to convince most doubters that he is a quality player.

But there is a lot more to the burly hooker, who is never far from the action in any game he plays.

In fact Liebenberg is the spark that lights the fire in a revitalised Western Province pack.

Even without Springbok flank Schalk Burger the Province pack have swept all before them this season – including the highly rated forwards of the Sharks and Blue Bulls.

And much of the credit for the fiery, hard edge the WP forwards have shown this season has been given to Liebenberg – who returned from a stint with French club Toulon towards the latter stages of the Super 14 season.

WP forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot, a former international front row forward, described Liebenberg as one of the true leaders of the Province pack.

“Tiaan’s attitude, when he came back from France, was fantastic,” Proudfoot told rugby365, in a discussion during the build-up to Saturday’s Currie Cup crunch match with the Golden Lions in Cape Town.

“There’s been nothing of Tiaan that you can’t ask him to do,” Proudfoot said, adding: “He has just had an immense appetite for the game and wanting to play for the team.

“He is backing the two young props [Brock Harris and Wicus Blaauw] up nicely.”

The WP forwards mentor also spoke of Liebenberg’s leadership qualities in a team captained by Luke Watson and a pack that includes veteran All Black lock Chris Jack.

“You got to have an emotional leader in the pack and he has definitely played that role,” Proudfoot said of Liebenberg.

“On his travels [to France] he has matured a bit and he has a role that he wants to play at Western Province.

“It has been very rewarding working with a man that has that energy and that drive to be successful.”

Proudfoot also felt that not only did Liebenberg gain some experience at Toulon, but his time in South African rugby – he made his first class debut in 2002 – has stood him in good stead.

“He is a hard man. You can set high norms for him and he wants to achieve them and that is the rewarding thing – he is prepared to improve and he is prepared to work on his game.

“He is not just content with where he is at the moment, he wants to improve, he wants the pack to improve, he wants the team to improve and that kind of drive is infectious in the team.

“That is probably what has inspired the [WP] pack to perform as well.”

Liebenberg, who played a tour match for the Boks on their year-end tour in 2007, is probably not far off that elusive first Test cap.

“He was there and thereabouts [in the Bok frame] when he went to France, and he was in the SA Emerging Bok side that played against the B&I Lions, so they obviously have taken note of him,” Proudfoot said.

“Gary [Gold, the Bok forward coach] has worked with him through the Super 14 and knows him, so he must be there and thereabouts when they speak about hookers.

“That is probably part of his motivation.

“However, he just has immense pride in his game and he wants to improve all the time – it is the pride he has in his own game.”

Bio:
Full name: Christiaan Rudolph Liebenberg
Born: December 18, 1981
Birth city: Kimberley
Position: Hooker
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 110 kg
Representative honours:
Springboks: Uncapped – v Barbarians in London, November 2007
Emerging Springboks: v B&I Lions 2009
Tour match: Western Province v B&I Lions 2009
Super 14: Cheetahs 2006; Stormers 2007 to 2009
Pro D2 (France): Toulon 2008/09
Currie Cup: Griquas 2003 to 2005; Western Province 2006 to 2009

By Jan de Koning

Why Jack was left out

by Gavin Rich | 19 August 2009 supersport.co.za

Anton van Zyl’s speed in the air in the lineout coupled with his intimate knowledge of his opponents was what saw All Black Chris Jack left out of the Vodacom Western Province starting team for Saturday’s crucial Absa Currie Cup clash with the Xerox Lions at Newlands.Jack started the last two matches for WP but moves to the bench as one of two changes to the side that beat the Boland Cavaliers last weekend. Luke Watson returning at No 8 for Pieter Louw and taking up the captaincy arm-band from Tiaan Liebenberg after missing the Boland match with flu is the other change.

Van Zyl, although a Capetonian born and bred and old boy of Rondebosch High, played several seasons for the Lions before returning to the Cape earlier this year.

“Anton is a bit quicker in the air than Chris is and our contesting policy at the lineouts is important to us,” said coach Allister Coetzee.

“We also know that Chris is only here to the end of the Currie Cup season, so it is important to give guys who will be here for next year’s Super 14 opportunities and to work with them.”

Without directly saying so, there was also a strong intimation that Van Zyl’s knowledge of the set-up at the Lions and the opposition players played a strong role in his selection. It is a big call though for in the last big WP game at Newlands, Jack was man of the match against the Sharks.

Meanwhile Coetzee has confirmed that Conrad Hoffmann, normally a scrumhalf, will also cover flyhalf on Saturday. There has been a lot of speculation in the Cape that Hoffmann might be moved to pivot as he has a lot of the attributes boasted by Ruan Pienaar.

Western Province team: Joe Pietersen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Juan de Jongh, Morgan Newman, Gio Aplon, Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage, Luke Watson (captain), Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Anton van Zyl, Adriaan Fondse, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wicus Blaauw.

Reserves: Deon Fourie, JD Moller, Chris Jack, Pieter Louw, Conrad Hoffmann, Frikkie Welsh, JJ Engelbrecht.