Deysel and Drotské tops in August
Powerhouse Sharks flanker Jean Deysel and Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské have been rewarded for their recent efforts in the Currie Cup, with the duo winning the Player and the Coach of the Month Awards respectively, for the month of August.
Powerhouse Sharks flanker Jean Deysel and Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské have been rewarded for their recent efforts in the Currie Cup, with the duo winning the Player and the Coach of the Month Awards respectively, for the month of August.
Deysel missed the start of the Currie Cup because of a hand injury sustained in a pre-season friendly against the Griffons, but a series of powerful displays has seen the 23-year-old make the number seven jersey his own, much to Sharks coach John Plumtree's delight.
“The guy has got Springbok written all over him,” said Kiwi Plumtree, himself a former Sharks flank of some repute, after a man-of-the-match display against the Griquas.
The Coach of the Month is voted for by a five-man panel of top media personalities in South Africa, whilst all eight coaches in the Currie Cup were asked to nominate their Player of the Month for August. They cannot nominate their own players.
Deysel picked up two votes, eventually edging out Nick Kster (WP), Earl Rose (Lions), Wikus van Heerden and Deon Stegmann (both Blue Bulls) and the Boland Cavaliers' Dries van Schalkwyk – all of whom earned one nomination each. Interestingly enough, all the players nominated – except Rose – are loose forwards.
Deysel, who tips the scales at 103 kilograms and stands 1,92 metres tall, was typically modest about his performances in August.
“It's great that the opposition coaches have noticed me, I think that's the best thing about this award,” he said.
“I'm enjoying my rugby a lot at the moment; John Plumtree and the coaches at the Sharks have backed me up, but it's just been great being back out there with my body in good shape and that enjoyment factor right up there, too.”
For Deysel, and the Sharks, the next few weeks are shaping up as the key ones as the top teams look to secure those crucial home semi-final places.
“It's make or break in the next few weeks,” he said.
“The Boks are coming back, at the Sharks and at the other teams too, but that's why I play this game – to test myself against the best players out there. I wouldn't want it any other way.”
Meabwhile, FS Cheetahs coach Drotské has guided his team to five successive victories in the Currie Cup.
The Cheetahs, the defending champions, have not lost a match since going down 31-23 to the Blue Bulls in mid-July. The Men from Bloemfontein are currently in third place on the Currie Cup table, just one point behind the second-placed Sharks (33) and two points adrift of the table-topping Blue Bulls.
Drotsk̩ Рa former Springbok hooker and the ex-head coach of English club London Irish Рreceived three out of five votes for his efforts in charge of the Cheetahs last month, just pipping Lions boss Eugene Eloff to the honour.
Drotské was quick to pay tribute to his team.
“It's a great honour, but credit must go to my players and my management team. I guess when the team plays badly the head coach attracts a bit of heat, so maybe it's not a bad thing to earn some praise when the team plays well!” he said.
But warned Drotské, the 2008 Currie Cup season is far from over.
“September is the month,” he added.
“There's just two points between us the Sharks and the Bulls and we'd obviously love to get that home semifinal.”
The impressive thing once again has been Drotské's ability to blood some talented youngsters, with the likes of Heinrich Brssow (July's Currie Cup Player of the Month), Robert Ebersohn and Wilton Pietersen all impressing for the Cheetahs in 2008.
“It's important to get the balance right between young and old,” explained the Cheetahs coach.
“We're lucky to have the likes of Wian du Preez, Hendro Scholtz, Chris Rossouw, Eddie Fredericks and Bevin Fortuin around – it's just so much easier to blood the youngsters when they have the older heads around to guide them.”