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The Cheetahs a different challenge

PUBLISHED: September 6, 2012


DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee is wary of the challenge posed by the Free State Cheetahs in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein (19h10).

With plenty of smiles doing their rounds at DHL Newlands after their 42-6 demolition of the Vodacom Blue Bulls last Saturday, coach Coetzee moved quickly this week to dispel any suggestions of over-confidence.

“We don’t expect to rock up and just beat the Cheetahs. We worked hard against the Bulls and we intend on doing the simple things right (once again) and taking any chances that come our way,” said Coetzee ahead of his team’s trip to the Free State Stadium.

“The Cheetahs are a very experienced Currie Cup side, it’s a different challenge from facing the Bulls,” added the DHL WP boss.

“They have a very good rush defence and are always tough in Bloemfontein, it’s something I’ve said before. But I expect the senior guys and the captain to size them up and change our gameplan accordingly (if necessary).”

Coetzee has made three changes to the DHL WP line-up that started the game against the Bulls in Round Four, as the Men in Blue & White moved up to second place on the Absa Currie Cup log in the process – with 11 points – just behind the Sharks (14 points) and just ahead of the Cheetahs (10 points).

The big changes see Nic Groom come in for Dewaldt Duvenage (season-ending broken fibula) at scrumhalf, with Louis Schreuder warming the bench, and Damian de Allende earning a first-ever Absa Currie Cup start as a replacement for injured winger Ederies Arendse (rotator cuff).

Coetzee explained his choice at scrumhalf: “One thing about Groomy is that when it’s messy he can handle that because of his abrasiveness and his whole approach to the game. “I think that while he has got that he has also got to develop at the same time. Scrumhalves can become individualists and use quality ball and give the poor ball to the backline so he is also in the phase where he is developing in that regard. Louis [Schreuder] is a technical guy. He’s accurate, he gets the ball away quickly and he is a big, tall scrumhalf who can kick well so it’s good to have a mixture (there).”

On the selection of De Allende, a try-scorer last week, Coetzee added: “Damian is a late starter in the game, he only started playing rugby late at school (Grade Eight), but he has made a helluva lot of progress in a short space of time.

“He has taken the opportunities that he has got. He’s a big boy, a really strong, aggressive runner, and all he needs is to get out there and play.”

The third change is a rotational one, with experienced tighthead prop Brok Harris earning a start in the No.3 shirt and youngster Frans Malherbe joining his Under-21 colleague Steven Kitshoff on the replacements’ bench.

“Where we can rotate we are doing it,” said Coetzee, “we have given Frans (Malherbe) four starts and that is one area where we can use our rotation policy, whereby Brok (Harris) gets a start again.

“This is a fantastic Cheetahs side that always asks a lot of questions in the set-pieces, so hopefully with the experience we have in our front row we will settle easily at scrum-time.”

As has become the norm in 2012, Coetzee has once again looked to the DHL WP Under-21 ranks to bolster his team, with South African Under-20 star Patrick Howard – a member of the IRB Junior World Championship-winning Baby Boks side – joining a senior Western Province matchday squad for the first time.

And the DHL WP coach, for one, is excited at Howard’s potential, as he joins six other WP U21 players in the matchday selection.

“Pat Howard is a very exciting prospect as a youngster who weighs over 100 kilograms, is very quick and covers wing and centre for us.

“We have been hit hard by injuries, so you have got to make sure that your bench can cover most positions.”