DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee praised his team’s ‘response’ after they bounced back to form with a 45-21, bonus-point clinching Absa Currie Cup win over the highly-rated GWK Griquas side at DHL Newlands on Saturday.
The home side blew their opponents off the park in the first half, leading 31-7 at the break as they collected their four-try bonus within the first forty minutes of play.
It was a welcome fourth Currie Cup victory of the season for DHL Western Province, especially after last weekend’s disappointing away defeat to the Sharks.
The result also means that the Men in Blue & White – along with the Sharks and Lions, who meet later tonight (19h10) – have joined the top three in opening the gap on the rest of the 2012 Absa Currie Cup contenders.
“It was a pleasing result – I thought we responded well after last weekend,” said Coetzee after his team’s six-tries-to-three victory.
“We spoke this week about facing a good Griquas side who had picked up wins against the Lions (away) and the Sharks and Bulls at home. So, yes, after the week we had… it was a good response and, like I said, a very pleasing result in the end.
“Irrespective of what happened last weekend I was pleased with how the players wore the jerseys and conducted themselves as DHL Western Province players. This was a great, great comeback.”
All in all, it was another great afternoon for DHL WP across the board at DHL Newlands, with the senior team, the Under-21 team and the Under-19 side all picking up bonus-point victories.
The Under-21 side are putting pressure on the two teams ahead of them on the standings, whilst the Under-19 team moved to the top of the standings in their Provincial Competition.
Making the senior side’s win even more special, however, was the performance of their Under-21 front row of Steven Kitshoff, Scarra Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe, with the man in the middle, hooker Ntubeni, winning yet another Absa Currie Cup Man of the Match Award.
Lock Wilhelm van der Sluys – also Under-21 – enjoyed his first start, loose forward JJ Gagiano made his debut off the bench and U21 backs, JP du Plessis and Damian de Allende, excelled once again.
“It’s really pleasing to get it right at home,” admitted Coetzee, “you don’t want to lose in this shortened Currie Cup, especially at home, and we know from our experience after losing our opening game at home to the Sharks last month.
“Physicality and attitude and work-rate… it’s a given for Western Province and the Stormers… there’s a problem if our players don’t pitch and I thought they all did today.
“Of the youngsters, Scarra settled in well again today and guys like Wilhelm (van der Sluys) and Damian (de Allende) also settled in nicely and they’re all getting help from those (older guys) around them.”
Captain Deon Fourie, meanwhile, praised his charges for their patience and maintaining their shape in defence, saying: “We knew we’d need it (our patience).
“We know they’re a team that’s able to keep the ball for several phases and then strike with a bit of Willie le Roux magic. We put the emphasis, this past week, on keeping our shape no matter what and I thought it worked.”
When asked about their patience perhaps leading to those two intercept tries in the first half – by Gerhard van den Heever and Marcel Brache – Fourie, himself a try-scorer later on, replied: “Those intercept tries were more so out of individual brilliance.
“But intercept tries, as you know, are those things that look great when they work and everyone claps hands for you… but, if not, you have to accept it on a Monday!”
