WP won't make the same mistake
Still mindful of their shock defeat at the hands of the Falcons earlier this season, Western Province coach Allister Coetzee was at pains to emphasise that his side will treat the same opposition with the utmost respect in Saturday's Currie Cup clash at Newlands.
Still mindful of their shock defeat at the hands of the Falcons earlier this season, Western Province coach Allister Coetzee was at pains to emphasise that his side will treat the same opposition with the utmost respect in Saturday's Currie Cup clash at Newlands.
“It (the 38-32 defeat) still hurts,” said Coetzee, when he reflected on the Brakpan debacle back in July.
“It's because of that defeat that we find ourselves in this (difficult) position now.
“And we won't be out for revenge either because that can become an emotional issue. We would not want to approach this game with such emotions.
“The Falcons are playing better than last year. They'll offer respectable opposition and they are quite capable of taking good decisions (on the field).
“Irrespective of their log position – we've done our analysis – we don't want to be disrespectful to any side.
“I'm happy with our training this week and we won't be caught with our pants around our ankles.”
It was perhaps not a good time for Coetzee to use this metaphor to illustrate his side's preparedness, given the fact that national rugby is in the throes of an alleged sex tape scandal.
Nevertheless, Coetzee left no one in doubt about his star-studded side's commitment ahead of Saturday's clash against the Brakpan minnows.
“We have a lot of respect for our (tenuous) position,” said Coetzee in reference to his side's mid-table position.
“We want to make sure that we get to the play-offs. We know what we want to achieve in this game.
“We still have hopes of playing in the play-offs and our aim on Saturday is to be an improved side in terms of our attacks, set-pieces and contesting the breakdowns.
''I think that we had a good win against the Cheetahs last week and want to keep the momentum.
“We want to make sure that we finish strong towards the end of the Currie Cup season and take that momentum into the Super 14 next year – that's very important.”
It was widely expected that Springbok full-back Percy Montgomery would be back for the 'Streeptruie' on Saturday, but Western Province fans will have to wait a bit longer for his return. It is likely that he'll run out against the Griquas at Newlands next week.
“There's nothing wrong with Percy,” said Coetzee.
“He's not injured but we had a chat and agreed that he'll rest.
“One needs to bear in mind that he has played a lot of rugby in the past year.
“After the World Cup he went off to France to play for Perpignan and then came back for the Springboks for the Tri-Nations.
“We've contracted Monty up to the end of the 2009 Super 14 season.
“We want to make sure that he has enough time to settle in and enjoy a mental break from the game and get him strong for next year.
“He will be part of the last couple of Currie Cup games but at this stage Conrad (Jantjes) is playing well and we have enough cover to make sure that Monty is sharp and fit.”
Western Province skipper Jean de Villiers sat out of training on Wednesday because he was nursing a cold but will be fit to take up his place in midfield along his new centre partner Sireli Naqelevuki, the exciting Fijian international.