CAPE TOWN - Western Province will be looking to build on the momentum of last week’s victory over the Blue Bulls with another good showing against the Golden Lions at Newlands on Friday (7pm).
Province have been boosted by returning Springbok Dillyn Leyds on the wing, with Cobus Wiese also making his Currie Cup debut on the flank. It is easily the strongest team coach John Dobson has put out thus far, and attack coach Dawie Snyman expects the home side to lift a few gears when they face the Lions.
“We will definitely look to build on what we did on Saturday. We have always felt there has been one gear missing to get our rhythm. The guys have been together now for three-four games. It is now about building on that and keeping on improving,” Snyman said.
One player Snyman will certainly want to continue his upward trend is the precocious Damian Willemse. The teenage pivot scored a sensational individual try against the Bulls.
“That was a piece of individual brilliance. That’s what he can bring to the team. I also think if the guys around him, play towards him, and react to him, it always gives him options which makes him even more dangerous,” Snyman said. He doesn’t expect the youngster to be a one-man team though.
“We obviously want to move the ball to where the space is available. It comes through communication on the outside. So, if the guys have certainty about where the ball is going to go, where the space is, it gives players confidence to look for that space.
“It’s not just a credit for the guys on the inside, but also the guys on the outside, who gets the right information through to who can find the space,” he explained.
The Lions will certainly aim to deny Willemse and the dangerous WP backline any space to weave their magic. Equally, they will look to unleash some dangerous runners after going down to the Sharks last week at Ellis Park.
“The Lions will want to push the tempo and play a high-speed game. The red card they got had a big influence on the result because they lost the ascendancy at the set-piece. That’s how the Sharks got back into it,” Snyman said.
Western Province team:
15. SP Marais, 14. Seabelo Senatla, 13. EW Viljoen, 12. Huw Jones, 11. Dillyn Leyds, 10. Damian Willemse, 9. Jano Vermaak, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Cobus Wiese, 6. Jaco Coetzee, 5. JD Schickerling, 4. Chris van Zyl, 3. Wilco Louw, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. JC Janse van Rensburg. Bench: 16. Ramone Samuels, 17. Caylib Oosthuizen, 18. Michael Kumbirai, 19. 20. Eddie Zandberg, 21. Steph de Wit, 22. Dewaldt Duvenage, 23. Dan Kriel.