Whilst understandably elated with his team’s 42-6 Absa Currie Cup win over the Blue Bulls on Saturday, DHL WP head coach Allister Coetzee has declared his young side a ‘work in progress’.

With six Western Province Under-21 players in the mix, DHL WP ran in five unanswered tries at DHL Newlands as the Men in Blue in White shot into second placed on the Absa Currie Cup log.

However, coach Coetzee remained as humble as ever afterwards, admitting: “Win or lose tonight we always had a plan and we will always stick to that plan.

“Tonight the guys executed the plan well and took their opportunities.

“I’m really proud of the players. This is a quality Bulls side – the guys applied themselves well, so I’m happy.”

Coetzee praised the team’s leadership core – of flanker Deon Fourie and centre Marcel Brache – for making the “good calls” on the night, but he stressed: “We’re a work in progress.

“We were fifth on the log before tonight, now we’re second – it shows how ‘funny’ the tournament is this year, what with the new format and the various upsets on a weekly basis.

“Next week will be tough against the Cheetahs,” he added, “but, for now, we’re happy that we improved the things we worked on during the week – the breakdown, our penalty count and taking opportunities.

“Last week against the Lions we had opportunities but just didn’t take them, like we did against the Sharks in the first week. So we’re aware that things swing in a round-about.”

On a negative note, injuries reared their head once again this week, with first-choice scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage picking up a season-ending broken leg.

“It’s an obvious downside from tonight,” admitted Coetzee, who will also be sweating on the fitness of winger Ederies Arendse (shoulder).

Vice-captain Brache (calf muscle) should be okay for next week, despite being replaced in the second half.

Meanwhile, hooker Scarra Ntubeni – the Man of the Match on his starting debut at Absa Currie Cup level – revealed just how much the coaches has backed this young side in the lead-up to the weekend.

“There’s so much belief in the camp,” he enthused.

“But the coaches have also always remained positive; they still believed in us even when we didn’t perhaps reward them with results. There are six of us U21 players in the team and the coach backs us all.”