WP must show more attitude - Fleck 13 August By Ashfak Mohamed Robbie Fleck has called on Western Province to show some “attitude” against the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday, and the return of Tiaan Liebenberg from injury and Michael Rhodes to the starting line-up could be just what they need. And there was further good news for WP yesterday to reduce some of the gloom in the camp following the 24-24 draw against the Blue Bulls, with young left wing Cheslin Kolbe set to be fit to face the Cheetahs (7.15pm kickoff). Kolbe sustained a knee strain in the Bulls match and was listed as “doubtful” to play against the Cheetahs by coach Allister Coetzee on Sunday. But yesterday, although the 19-year-old sat out of training at a chilly and murky Bellville, Fleck said “there is a good chance that (Kolbe) can play”. WP captain Deon Fourie, flank Rynhardt Elstadt and flyhalf Gary van Aswegen also missed training yesterday, but Fleck – standing in for Coetzee, who was ill yesterday – said that the trio are expected to be ready by the weekend. Liebenberg, who has five Springbok Test caps, has been struggling with a back complaint for a few months and sat out a large part of the Stormers’ Super Rugby campaign, but was a strong presence during the Province pack’s lengthy scrumming session yesterday. Scarra Ntubeni has carried the load admirably at hooker in Liebenberg’s absence, and while he should retain the No 2 jersey for the Cheetahs clash, Liebenberg will look to make a big impact off the bench. The WP forwards lacked a physical bite against an inexperienced but sizable Bulls pack, which won the advantage-line battle and dominated the scrums under the new laws. That may result in a change at No 4 lock against the Cheetahs, with Michael Rhodes slotting in alongside De Kock Steenkamp instead of Gerbrandt Grobler during the scrumming session yesterday. Rhodes is a seasoned Currie Cup campaigner, and will bring an edge and maturity to the pack. “We have a bit of bumps and bruises, and probably more ego!” Fleck said. “In the second half, we couldn’t get our hands on the ball, and the Bulls’ slow poison started to work on us and they started to get set-piece dominance at scrum-time. “We had a good chat today, and it’s massively important that we take all the positives out of the game, because there were plenty. The technical errors are fixable, but you can never replace attitude, and we missed that in that second half. Attitude is a given in our set-up – it’s not something that we have to discuss every week.” But backline coach Fleck spoke excitedly about the three tries Province scored against the Bulls, adding that he was pleased with how newcomers such as Pat Howard and Kolbe had performed. But he almost pleaded with the forwards to secure better ball for the backs to strike against the Cheetahs. “Our general attack worked nicely and we had good shape, and we were stretching the Bulls in that regard. The first try was a very good try, probably the best that we’ve scored in a long time,” he said. “From a backs perspective, it’s just a pity that we didn’t get enough ball in that second half. We played too much with a defensive mindset – we couldn’t exit out of our own half, and we couldn’t get any set-piece attacking plays going. But knowing Matt and the guys, they will put a plan in place, and hopefully we will get that set-piece dominance against the Cheetahs.” The man that stood out for him was inside centre Damian de Allende, who had set up Howard’s try with a powerful burst and offloaded superbly to put his centre partner away. “Pat had a good debut, and scored a brilliant try. He had one or two nice runs outside of that. Damian, for me, was a monster in the midfield. This kid is just getting better and better every week, and he is also now in a leadership role. Very happy with their first start, and if Damian can keep performing like that, there will be good opportunities for them in future,” Fleck said. Meanwhile, WP confirmed in a statement yesterday that Kings flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis will be joining them on loan for the Currie Cup. Fleck said Catrakilis is still recovering from a shoulder injury and will be out for two weeks. He may return against Griquas next Saturday, or against the Golden Lions six days later. WP also announced yesterday that Kolbe has signed a three-year contract with the union. - Cape Times
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:12:50 +0000
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