WP eye play-offs
The Cheetahs' defeat in Durban on Saturday has given the rampant Western Province a whiff of the Currie Cup play-offs trail. And the scent could grow even stronger by the time the Blue Bulls wrap up their match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Saturday.
The Cheetahs' defeat in Durban on Saturday has given the rampant Western Province a whiff of the Currie Cup play-offs trail. And the scent could grow even stronger by the time the Blue Bulls wrap up their match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next Saturday.
Allister Coetzee's 'Streeptruie' are now five points adrift of the fourth-placed Cheetahs who have suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of WP and the Sharks in the past fortnight.
Even playing at fortress Bloemfontein the Cheetahs will be hard-pressed to halt that slide next Saturday and should they suffer another defeat or fail to pick up a bonus point it could spell the end of their 2008 Currie Cup season.
When WP's Springboks returned for Currie Cup duty, the Cape Town Side had the then fourth-placed Lions who were nine points better off the Currie Cup standings, in their sights.
However, the Lions have maintained their nine-point lead over WP but the situation could change when they meet the Sharks and WP in the final games of the league stage of the competition.
WP have meanwhile picked up a maximum of five points in each of their last two outings, the latest of which produced a 92-15 slaughter of the Falcons at Newlands on Saturday.
Over the next two weeks WP are up against the Griquas (home) and Boland (away) and everything points to a scenario in which that the star-studded Newlands outfit will record more runaway wins.
Their final league match will be against the Lions at Newlands and by that time it is possible that they could find themselves in a position to finish above the Lions and/or Cheetahs on the year-end standings, and so land a play-off berth.
Coetzee feels that raking in wins with maximum points and running up big scores is the least his side can do to keep their play-offs hopes alive.
“We have to keep our side of the bargain and then we'll rely on other teams like the Sharks,” said Coetzee.
“We must make sure that we get as many points as possible as points difference could be a factor at the end. It will be good if the Sharks can help us out against the Lions.”
Coetzee said WP's runaway 92-15 win over the Falcons was important for the team psyche.
“It was important to get the respect back into the 'blue-and-white hoops' and that's what this team did,” said Coetzee.
“This was the true class of the WP side. It was a very clinical performance in the first half to turn at half-time at 54-10 ahead. What we planned last week was to get our structures going and that's how we scored the tries.”
Coetzee said that the Falcons had also contributed to their own downfall.
“It helped us the way they tried to play an expansive game. To play that style against a defensive system that WP uses is suicidal,” Coetzee explained.
Despite the upcoming fixtures against minnow sides like the Griquas and Boland the WP management have no plans to take their foot off the accelerator.
“We want to maintain this winning culture and take it into the Super 14 season,” said Coetzee.
“The team knows that they have a chance to slip into the Currie Cup play-offs.
“We want to ensure that the players remain fresh but also sharper and by the time the Lions match comes up the team must have gelled. By that time the team must enjoy cohesion and the mix must be right so that we can finish the season just like the Stormers did earlier this year.
“I'm expecting the national selectors to call me sometime about resting one or the other Springbok.”
Falcons coach Rudy Joubert did not mince his words after the Newlands slaughter.
“It was the worst defeat I've suffered during my life. It was humiliating, to say the least,” said Joubert.
“We had bad luck, losing three fly-halves in one season and losing a tighthead when you've only got one tighthead but that's not an excuse.
“There were guys that were asking for opportunities over the last few weeks and they were given opportunities. They showed they don't belong there (in Currie Cup) because we can't even execute things we did in training.
“That is really not good enough – to concede over 90 points in a game. You've got to do the basics right.
“We need depth in the squad if we want to compete in the Currie Cup. You need at least two players in every position who can play at that level – we don't have them.”
Although the Blue Bulls and Sharks are handsomely placed to secure home fixtures for the play-offs, the picture in the play-offs zone will be become clearer once the Bulls and the Cheetahs play in Bloemfontein on Saturday.