Western Province Rugby

Allister Coetzee – a message to our blogging community.

Lindsey Rayner — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:02:24 +0200

I wanted to take time to thank all the bloggers that utilise this platform, especially the regulars like Allie, Disablom and co. It is clear that most of you have Province/Stormers in your hearts and souls and whilst sometimes it hurts to read your comments, especially after a loss, in the whole it is heartening to see the passion, pride and knowledge on display here.

Most of you will have seen the comment out of the last press conference by now:

Coach Allister Coetzee refused to make excuses in the aftermath of the loss to the Lions in the Absa Currie Cup semi-final. “It hurts that we could not secure a second consecutive Currie Cup final especially after finishing as the top SA team and home semi-finalist in Super Rugby this year” said the coach.

“We understand fully the pain of the Faithful out there, maybe even more so. The players and management are equally if not more hungry for silverware and there was lot of disappointment and introspection in the camp. Congratulations to the Lions, they had continuity and cohesion and were good on the day. They deserved the win.”

The coach went on to point out that the season was not however all negative,” The disappointment of not making this year's final this year aside, I have not changed my mind on the value that this season will have into the future. The names of JJ and Sadie are bandied about in argument pointing to the failure of WP to develop and retain its youngsters and provide quality depth into the future.

The reality is however somewhat different. Those players’ contracts came to an end and we tried hard to keep them. That said there are fantastic structures in place at all levels and a big group of talented youngsters coming through the ranks. This season 16 U21 players received significant game time in the senior competition, with the bulk of them having signed with WP for the future.

It would have been easy to buy old experienced players for the Currie Cup season. We took the opposite route as a stated pre-season goal to continue the development of our youngsters to ensure depth for Super Rugby. Whilst it may be of little immediate consolation, that investment is a great one and will be of enormous value next season and into the future.”

“After a loss like this it is never easy for the coaches and players that really do give there all. Thank you to Faithful for your support, we will continue to do everything in our power to make to you proud. With this season over and our focus now switches firmly to Super Rugby 2012. “concluded the coach.

I would just like to clarify a few issues as raised:

JJ and Sadie opted to move to the Bulls at the end of their contract period. We did not sell/trade them and tried hard to keep them. We could not however offer them the promises made to them by the Bulls. We have actively pursued a policy of developing our young players at senior level. We have a very talented bunch of youngsters coming through the ranks and yes 2 have opted to leave. The reality is the balance (the large majority) have all opted to stay.
Tight 5 – there is no doubt that Bekker, Vermeulen and Elstadt were missed. In qualifying top of the SA Teams in Super Rugby this year (home and away strength v strength) the pack was often acclaimed for its physicality and no-nonsense approach. That has not changed. In addition at U21 level we have some of the best young talent – now with experience – few will argue that Kitshoff, Malherbe, Ntubeni, Roux and Etsebeth are future stars and all have opted to stay. Let’s not forget that Koster, Elstadt and Kolisi are all also still very young but again have excellent experience already.
The reality is that we have some great senior players and a very, very exciting bunch of youngsters that now have senior playing experience. A definite positive out of the season.

It hurts not to win trophies, especially when we continue to put ourselves in position to do so (2010 Finals Super & Currie Cup – 2011 Conference winners, home semi-finalists and CCup semi-finalists.) We are equally if not more hungry for silverware. We believe that strategy wise the choice to invest and play our youngsters this year will undoubtedly be of benefit into the immediate future. Whilst we like you are gutted as to the semi loss, we continue to believe we are on the right track and are now even hungrier for success.

Thank you for your passion and support – hopefully we can add pride to that list in the very near future!

Allister.

WP cruise into semis

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:13:06 +0200

DHL Western Province booked themselves a place in the Absa Currie Cup semifinals when they beat the Pumas 43-18 (halftime 24-8) at DHL Newlands on Saturday to squeeze into the last four.

The result meant that DHL WP finish the regular season on 41 log points, one more than the Vodacom Blue Bulls. Province will now face the MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg in next Saturday's semifinals.

The home side began the match knowing that they had to win with a bonus point, or by 14 points should they not score five tries, in order to pip the Bulls to a semifinal spot.

It might have been against the lowly Pumas in front of 14,305 fans instead of 60 000 at Eden Park for what should have been a World Cup semifinal, but Springbok centre Jean de Villiers nonetheless threw himself into the contest with vigour and was rewarded with the game's opening try after just four minutes.

Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, who would have pinched himself had you told him a few months ago that he'd be sharing the streeptrui with the likes of De Villiers, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie, Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh, added the extra points.

WP doubled their lead seven minutes later when hooker Deon Fourie burrowed over from close range to take his side to within two tries of the knockout rounds.

But the Pumas weren't about to become pushovers in what is likely to be their final match in the big time.

Their impressive flanker Jaco Bouwer scored next, diving over a ruck on the Province line after a good break by scrumhalf Shaun Venter from a five-metre scrum.

Flyhalf Carl Bezuidenhout couldn't convert, but he made no mistake after 25 minutes with a penalty that reduced the deficit to just nine points after Catrakilis had succeeded with his own penalty in the 19th minute.

Centre De Jongh, who enjoyed precious little game time at the World Cup, showed his willingness to seek space shortly afterwards when he ran well off De Villiers' shoulder to sidestep the defence for a try underneath the posts.

Catrakilis' trusty boot did the rest, and WP, even though they were one try short of the all-important bonus point, did at least increase their lead to more than 14 points.

The second half saw the Pumas continue to harry WP at the breakdowns and their doggedness paid dividends when Bezuidenhout kicked a second penalty in the 52nd minute to make it 24-11.

At this stage, coach Allister Coetzee decided that the calm head of Bok flanker Schalk Burger, surely one of the leading candidates for South African rugby player of the year, was required.

But Burger's entrance was soon balanced out by Catrakilis' exit through injury, with fullback replacement Conrad Jantjes moving to the last line of defence and Aplon assuming the pivot role.

The plan proved profitable almost immediately, Aplon helping switch play to the right after a number of rucks close to the Pumas' line, and putting flanker Siya Kolisi over for probably WP's most important try of the season to date.

Now all WP had to do to keep the Blue Bulls out was to ensure they didn't suffer a calamitous collapse in the final quarter and squander an 18-point lead.

They needn't have worried, winger JJ Engelbrecht taking an inside pass off Aplon to bulldoze through four Pumas defenders on an angled gallop to dot down near the posts for WP's fifth try.

Replacement RW Kember dived over in the left-hand corner with 10 minutes to go to give the Pumas their second try, converted by Bezuidenhout from the touchline.

But by far the biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for the final minute, when Habana, crossed the whitewash after being freed down the left-hand touchline to finish the scoring in an exciting clash.

SCORERS:

DHL WP 43 - Tries: Jean de Villiers, Deon Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Siya Kolisi, JJ Engelbrecht, Bryan Habana. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (3), Conrad Jantjes (2). Penalty: Catrakilis.

Pumas 18 - Tries: Jaco Bouwer, RW Kember. Conversion: Carl Bezuidenhout. Penalties: Bezuidenhout (2)

Press conference update

Lindsey Rayner — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:41:09 +0200

Coach Allister Coetzee at a press conference today confirmed he is awaiting official confirmation as to the availability and eligibility of the returning Province internationals. “Should it be confirmed, we will definitely look to utilise returning players that are fit and hungry to play. The Boks bring an enormous amount to the team dynamic and our play. Griquas have given us another bite at the cherry and it's an opportunity we don't want to let slip” said the coach.

The coach confirmed DHL WP are expecting a very tough game from the visiting Pumas, “They took the Cheetahs very close last week. They are very physical and clearly won't be pushovers.”

The Bulls play the Leopards on Friday and Province will know exactly where they stand before they take to the Newlands pitch on Saturday. “Our destiny remains in our own hands and we will be giving our all” said the coach.

DHL WP downed by Lions

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:30:17 +0200

DHL WP suffered a 42-25 defeat in an Absa Currie Cup clash at Coca-Cola Park against log leaders the Lions.

The hosts took the early advantage when hooker Bandise Maku crashed over as early as the sixth minute.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies added the conversion and the Lions never looked back.

Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis put up a brave fight to keep the visitors within striking distance, kicking two penalties and a drop goal to narrow the gap to 10-9 after the first half hour.

Jantjies, however, was flawless at the other end, and Lions fullback Jaco Taute dotted down shortly before halftime to give the hosts a 20-9 advantage at the break.

Catrakilis was again on form in the second period, slotting three penalties in 10 minutes to pull the visitors back in contention, leaving them trailing by only two points.

The Lions drew clear, however, with Taute scoring his brace and replacement Martin Bezuidenhout going over for the bonus point, with Jantjies converting both tries.

Deon Fourie scored a consolation try for the visitors in the dying minutes, but Lions flanker Derick Minnie hammered the final nail in the coffin when he stormed over in injury time.

Scorers:

Lions: Tries: Bandise Maku, Jaco Taute (2), Martin Bezuidenhout, Derick Minnie. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (4). Penalties: Jantjies (3).

Western Province: Deon Fourie. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis. Penalties Catrakilis (5). Drop Goals: Catrakilis

Coetzee salutes special win

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:04:17 +0200

At points this season it has felt that everything has been against DHL Western Province. Almost without fail, after every game this campaign the coaching staff has had to deal with major injuries leaving them sourcing players from the U21 side and the club rugby structures.

It was therefore incredibly satisfying for coach Allister Coetzee, when his young side overcame a Sharks side brimming with Springboks in. Following the 15-10 victory in Durban, Coetzee praised his side for their performance , which once again highlighted the incredible character of the team.

“This was a special win for the side. To come up to Durban and win against a team with far more experience, it is highly impressive. The players once again showed their fight and heart, particularly as we had to overcome an early injury to Heinrich Steyl who broke his leg. We fought to the end and it keeps up alive in the competition.

“I think we did well to not give too many turnovers away. We started much better than we have over the last few weeks and our defense was outstanding. The pack played well and our set pieces were very good. In the end it was a disciplined performance and a fantastic victory for the guys.”

Unfortunately the injury curse hit again with Heinrich Steyl and Dewaldt Duvenage both struck down during the game. Whilst Steyl broke his leg and is out for the rest of the season, Duvenage will be assessed this week before a decision is made on his availability for the next game.

That game is against the table-topping Lions and Coetzee knows it is yet another huge challenge for his young side. He said: “It is not easier next week, but we have two games left and we need to look to win both. It is a big challenge, but what is great is that we have destiny in our own hands.”

Province should be able to welcome back Nic Groom and Demitri Catrakilis as they begin prep for another big week in the 2011 Absa Currie Cup.

SCORERS:

The Sharks - Try: Jean Deysel. Conversion: Meyer Bosman. Penalty: Freddie Michalak.

DHL Western Province - Tries: Danie Poolman, Dewaldt Duvenhage. Conversion: Lionel Cronje. Penalty: Duvenhage.

Q&A Marcel Brache - Out of the blue

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:03:28 +0200

Marcel Brache tells us about working with Robbie Fleck, and what an average week entails for a DHL WP player – by Dan Gillespie – as first published in province the official match day magazine of WP Rugby.

'Growing up I idolised guys like Fleckie. I never thought I'd get the chance to even meet him, let alone work so closely with him'

Your career hasn't followed the traditional route so far. How did your story unfold?

A couple of years ago rugby wasn't my top priority. I was having a good time studying at UCT, and playing for a UCT Internal League side called the Tornadoes. We did pretty well in 2009, and after the Internal League final I was approached by the 1st XV coaches to come to trials. I impressed them enough to make the side for 2010, and played with the team through to the Varsity Cup final. After that game, Robbie Fleck called me up and asked me if I would like to come down and join WP for pre-season training. They kept me in the squad for the rest of the season, and I managed to get a few games. But it was this year that I really became a part of the side, and I've managed to play quite a bit in the past month.

Having been part of the squad last year, how does the vibe in the camp compare to that of the 2010 Currie Cup?

Last year we had a lot of Springboks in the side, particularly towards the end of the season, and this year they've all been at the Tri-Nations and World Cup, so the feel in the squad is very different. What's been amazing, though, is that even with all us young and inexperienced guys in the team, we're still doing well. It shows just how strong WP rugby is. When you get guys like Siya Kolisi and Nizaam Carr mixing with experienced players like Tiaan Liebenberg and Conrad Jantjes it creates a great dynamic in the team, and we've been quite successful off the back of that.

You've been working quite closely with Robbie Fleck. What has that experience been like?

It's been surreal. You know, growing up I idolised guys like Fleckie. I mean, he played in a World Cup for South Africa, and he was a legend for WP and the Stormers. I never thought I'd get the chance to meet him, let alone work so closely with him. The great thing about Fleckie's coaching is that he understands where this team is mentally. He's explained to us that when he first came in to the WP side in 1998 he was one of a big group of youngsters who were trying to emulate the success of a very experienced side that had won the Currie Cup the previous season. That team made it to the final that year, and so he made it clear to us that we can be just as successful. He's given us a lot of self-confidence. Also, in general he's just a great coach to work with. He encourages us to make contributions wherever we can, and it's a fantastic way to learn and play.

A lot of players rely on rituals to get them through the week. What does an average game week look like for you?

I'm quite a chilled guy, but I do like to stick to the schedules that the coaches set out for us. Mondays are for recovery and strategy meetings; Tuesdays we'll be in the gym and work on our attack moves. Then we have Wednesdays off. That's my opportunity to relax and get some reading done or see some of my mates who aren't involved in rugby. It's good to just get my head out of the game for a day. I also try and surf every now and then, but it's been a while. The water's quite cold at the moment. Then on Thursdays we work on our set-piece arrangements and do some defensive work. Fridays are travel days, or another rest day. And, of course, Saturday is game day, so we try to focus, eat properly and just get into the right frame of mind.

Statement on Lionel Cronje

Lindsey Rayner — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:39:02 +0200

Lionel Cronje who was contracted to WP until the end of 2012 has been transferred and will take up a position with the Blue Bulls after the conclusion of the 2011 Absa Currie Cup.

Cronje who is returning from a long term injury will in all likelihood play for WP this week with Dollie having strained an ankle. Cronje played a club game last week.

Commenting on the decision coach Allister Coetzee said, “Lionel has been unlucky with injury, he is a talented player and will give his all for Province until the end of the season. Province is fortunate to have a number of very talented young players in the position, who have taken their opportunities during the Super XV and Currie Cup, such as Van Aswegen, Coleman and Catrakillis.”

Conrad Jantjes - SECOND CHANCE

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:54:34 +0200

Conrad Jantjes thought his professional career was over in 2009. But now he’s a key part of the DHL WP side ‘I am enjoying the role of being the experienced player in a young backline and leading the troops from the back'

Two years ago Conrad Jantjes was playing the best rugby of his life. He was the starting fullback for the Stormers and Western Province while he was also part of the Springbok set-up heading into the British & Irish Lions tour. Suddenly, it was all taken away from him during a Super Rugby match against the Chiefs in Hamilton when he broke his leg in an unfortunate clash.

‘I’ll never forget that moment. I heard my bone snap and knew immediately something had gone horribly wrong,’ recalls Jantjes. ‘The incident happened after coming up with a special plan during midweek video analysis.

‘I picked up that a common move the Chiefs made was for flyhalf Stephen Donald to kick an up-and-under towards wing Sitiveni Sivivatu’s corner in order to create a scoring opportunity. But with fullback Mils Muliaina up in the line, I knew that if I kicked the ball forward in the air, I’d have space behind their defence to create a counter-attack. With my football skills, I knew I could pull it off.

‘When it happened my plan started out perfectly. My foot connected the ball sweetly and I was chasing it into space. I also had Schalk Burger on my outside for support, but flanker Liam Messam was coming in fast as cover defence. I went in for the slide, thinking I could just pop the ball for Schalla to put him through. But as I slid in, Messam dived in too and his body crashed into my leg. And that was that.’

Doctors confirmed moments later that Jantjes had broken his leg and would be sidelined for a year at least. He missed the following Currie Cup and Super Rugby campaigns as he underwent extensive rehabilitation. Jantjes calls it ‘the darkest period in my career’ but it also proved to have a positive influence on him.

‘Picking up a serious injury like that was a very difficult experience. I won’t even wish it on my worst enemy,’ says Jantjes. ‘I couldn’t walk for the first 12 weeks. Afterwards, I was training on my own in the gym before starting rehab with our conditioning coach. I thought my only way back into rugby was to play at club level.

‘Funnily enough, however, that long lay-off was good for me mentally and personally. I had a break from the game and could do things I wasn’t able to do before, like travel around and spend most of my time with my family – especially my niece who has me around her little finger. I also wasn’t hard on myself anymore. After making mistakes, especially early in the match, I would be angry with myself and that affected me mentally. But that is no longer the case. When I found out I had the chance to fight my way into the Province squad again, I wasn’t hard on myself and didn’t allow any criticism to get to me. My whole attitude changed and saw many things in a different light. I had a second chance, and was going to make full use of it.’

Jantjes spent his first several weeks of contact practice with the conditioning coach before practicing with the WP U21s during 2010 Super Rugby. He then made his miracle comeback during last year’s Currie Cup campaign and made his first appearance in a domestic final against the Sharks.

‘Although things didn’t go our way in that match and we lost, it was the highlight of my career. From thinking my pro career was over to making the starting line-up in the final. I’ll admit, my eyes were tearing in the changing room.’

In this year’s Currie Cup campaign, DHL WP have lost a bulk of their senior players to the Springbok World Cup squad. With the likes of Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie in New Zealand, Jantjes became the senior player in the backline.

‘I am enjoying the role of being the experienced player in a young backline and leading the troops from the back. In fact, most of these players I play alongside, like Danie Poolman, JJ Engelbrecht and Johann Sadie, were part of the U21 squad I trained with during my rehab and I became close with them then.

‘But the great thing about this WP side is that we don’t see each other as senior or junior players. We’re all the same. We will consult things together and everybody has a say. For example, I’ll even go up to Demetri Catrakilis and ask his thoughts about something. That close relationship and trust between the players has helped us to perform well. In fact, looking at the way this young team is excelling in the Currie Cup means that the future of WP rugby is bright. I believe we can make many more Currie Cup finals, and I want to be a part of that.’

– By Gareth Duncan as first published in Province, the DHL WP match day magazine.

DHL WP U21s do their part for the community

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:42:42 +0200

Having finished the first half of the season unbeaten and top of the log, the DHL WP U21 team changed tempo this week.

With the team enjoying a bye, coach John Dobson took the boys to Atlantis to go help the Niall Ellon Housing Trust. The trust assists those less fortunate by providing them with housing and the U21 side gave a helping hand by joining the building team of some of these homes.

Dobson felt it was important for his players to experience what many in South Africa are forced to deal with everyday. He said: “We found this opportunity to get involved with the Niall Ellon Housing trust and we thought it was a fantastic chance for our guys. Professional rugby players often have privileged and sheltered lives. They are often closed from the realities of other so we wanted to expose them to this.

“We wanted the players to appreciate what they have. We feel that players who acknowledge how lucky they are will appreciate what they have more and this will reflect on their attitude both on and off the field. We want to develop players who conduct themselves the right way in all facets of their lives, not just on the field. However we do feel this will also help to make them better players so we like them to experience activities such as this.

“It was really rewarding for all of us. In the time that we were there we helped to build up five houses to roof height so it was great to see that we made a difference.”

Having defeated the Falcons 81-3 in their last encounter, Dobson opted to give his boys a rest ahead of what is going to be a gruelling second half of the campaign. He said: “We gave the players the week off and the only thing we did as a unit was the build in Atlantis. We wanted the guys to get a break from rugby and next week we will get back together next week and prepare for the clash against the Leopards.

“We are very happy to end the first six games on top of the log. We have done particularly well to remain unbeaten as we have lost several players to the first team. It is great to see our young guys taking the step up and whilst it could have been disruptive to our preparations we have handled it really well. The second half of the campaign is going to be really tough. We have trips to Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria coming up so we know we are going to be under pressure. Nevertheless we know this team is capable so we are confident going into the second half of the season.”

Quinn Roux - Q & A

Lindsey Rayner — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:25:44 +0200

At the age of just 20, the DHL WP Lock is shaping up to be one of the games new enforcers. Quinn Roux tells us more about himself.

Where are you from originally?

I'm originally from Pretoria, born and bred there. I came down to the Mother City about 3 years ago. I moved down to the WP Institute and started my career from there.

When did you first start playing rugby?

I started playing in primary school (laughs) but that wasn't serious contact. I then went to Affies, there my rugby career started and the game became serious.

How's the physicality and aggression in Absa Currie Cup compared to other levels you have played?

It's a lot higher, the pace is much faster and the level of intensity is greater. There are a lot of us youngsters being given opportunities at the moment. It is clearly a focus at WP. The coaches and senior players are very supportive and always there to offer us help. We all want to grab the opportunities and are hungry to achieve, the standard of play for the Absa Currie Cup isn't easy and we all know the responsibility that comes with it.

How do you feel everytime you represent WP?

All my life I have been a WP fan, always dreamt of playing for them one day. So when I put on that jersey, I get a rush of excitement and anxiety, I know that this is the team I want to represent, this is the team that I hold dear to my heart.

You have represented WP in u19, u21 and now in Absa Currie Cup - how do you find the coaching structures as you move up?

The coaching structures are great. It is very well organised, and professionally run. I reckon we have one of the best set-up's in the world. What is great is that at any given time of the day, all the coaches are there to assist you, they are very approachable and they help you with any and every aspect of your game. The communication lines between players and coaches are open, and that is vital. There are tough times, but like I said we have a good set-up at the HPC - that helps.

The Currie Cup team for this year is fairly young, are you guys handling the pressure?

What is important is that we as youngsters, as a group, we feeling great. We all support each other 100% both on and off the field. We have alot of senior guys around us who help us tremendously, to deal with the pressures of the game. Guys like, Tiaan, Conrad, Deon and Dewaldt - they always giving us advice and showing us the ropes, that makes it easy for us, they make us feel welcome. The vibe within our squad at the moment is awesome, we keep growing as a team and whilst I want to do well as a player, what is most important is my contribution that I can offer towards the team and its future, whilst I gain experience from all around me. What's also awesome to see is that whilst a number of the U21 players are getting experience at senior level, that U21 team continues to achieve. That's testament to the structures in place Province and the opportunities been granted.

Quinn has represented the following age groups for DHL WP:

Craven week (Northern Transvaal) 2008

WP institute 2009

DHL WP u19 2009 (6)

DHL u21 2010-2011 (17)

DHL WP Vodacom Cup 2011 (9)

DHL WP Absa Currie Cup (1) 2011