Boks to bolster Province?

2008-05-20 15:31

Cape Town - Rassie Erasmus has won the Currie Cup both as a player and coach while he was at the Cheetahs, and the Stormers coach is now looking to build on that success as he fulfils his role as senior coach in his adopted Western Province.

Erasmus' duties as Stormers coach for 2008 came to an abrupt end last weekend when his Super 14 charges failed to advance to the play-offs, despite an unbeaten winning streak which took in six wins and a draw in their last seven outings.

Despite this failure, Erasmus' profile as a Super 14 coach has grown in stature because his bosses at the Newlands headquarters will feel it nevertheless was a massive improvement on the team's record before his' arrival in the Mother City.

In the most recent seasons (2007 - 2005) the Stormers finished 10th, 11th and 9th.

Erasmus will now pursue his role as WP senior professional coach which loosely translates into the title previously held by Nick Mallet, the former WP director of rugby.

WP have not yet released their 2008 Currie Cup squad, nor have they named a coach, but World Cup-winning assistant Springbok coach Allister Coetzee, is the front-runner for the post.

WP's opening match is against the Sharks in Durban on Friday, June 20, and before that the team is expected to play two warm-up matches, one of which is a Absa Currie Cup compulsory friendly against the Border Bulldogs on Saturday, May 31, in East London.

Recruitment drive

Erasmus is still busy finalising the squad amid a flurry of speculation that Springboks such as John Smit, AJ Venter and Percy Montgomery are one their way to Cape Town, as part of a massive recruitment drive to bolster WP's Currie Cup campaign.

Erasmus has shot down the speculation, saying he has not even had contact with these players. In any event, these players are likely to be on duty for the Boks while the Currie Cup is in progress.

One report that Erasmus has not refuted is former Free State flyhalf Willem de Waal is on his way to Province. He has been playing for the French second league club Narbonne since he left Free State at the end of last year's Currie Cup competition.

In the past two seasons he's been the Currie Cup's most prolific points scorer and his arrival is likely to spark lively debate from Isma-eel Dollies' supporters.

Dollie is in the Bok training squad, but is unlikely to make a Test squad as Butch James, Peter Grant, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn and even Meyer Bosman, are ahead of him in the queue for the Bok No 10 jumper.

Bosman has also been linked to a move to Cape Town.

The depth in the front row will be a major concern and its likely Erasmus will kickstart resources in that department by calling up Ollie le Roux, who has already joined a local club in Cape Town.

Huge Stormers presence

Prop Eddie Andrews, who has been out in the cold with an injury sustained at the start of the year, could be back in training in a month's time.

Apart from Dollie, there are 11 other Cape-based players in the national training squad. They are Conrad Jantjes, Tonderai Chavhanga, Gcobani Bobo, Jean de Villiers, Peter Grant, Enrico Januarie, Luke Watson, Andries Bekker, Brian Mujati, Schalk Brits and Schalk Burger.

On Tuesday that number increased to 12 with the call up of scrumhalf Bolla Conradie, following the injuries to Fourie du Preez and Heini Adams.

This huge Stormers presence in the training squad is in stark contrast to last year when only Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger found their way into Jake White's Test teams.

On the matter of coaching staff, WP has lost last year's Currie Cup coach Gary Gold, who has graduated to the Springbok ranks to become Peter de Villiers's assistant. Brendan Venter, who was a big influence in the Stormers' revival this season, could come into the reckoning as an assistant although Erasmus is sure to take an active part in coaching sessions.

Erasmus won the Currie Cup in his first attempt as Free State's coach in 2005.

He could be eyeing another Currie Cup first - this time as WP's senior professional coach in 2008.

WP last won the premier domestic rugby competition in South Africa with back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001.

- SAPA