Four takeaways from this weekend’s Currie Cup action
WP's Damian Willemse looks the real deal and the Cheetahs have questions to answer over their competitiveness in the upcoming Pro14.
Damian Willemse: Yet another young flyhalf to salivate over. Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images.
In the one weekend where there weren’t any other tournaments that hog the spotlight, the Currie Cup did its best to be as exciting as possible.
A surprise win, a try fest and a dramatic comeback were just some of the themes to emerge.
Also read: Swys de Bruin: Lions not ‘earning a reputation’
But with the Springboks kicking off their Rugby Championship campaign and the Cheetahs and Kings nearing their first stints in the Pro14, South Africa’s hallowed domestic tournament will probably be an orphan again.
However, here are four things we learnt from the weekend’s action.
Cheetahs need to send a stern message
Yes, most local fans are interested and happy to see the central franchise taking part in the new European Pro14 competition.
Amidst the excitement though, nobody is talking too loudly about how competitive they might be.
Rory Duncan’s troops surprisingly lost to neighbours Griquas 25-30 last Saturday, raising uncomfortable questions.
Granted, they didn’t play particularly well but a team that’s going to take on some heavyweights in Europe surely needs to dispose of a team like the Peacock Blues.
The Cheetahs are playing with most of their expected Pro14 players, so a reverse like this one isn’t all that encouraging.
With Springboks Francois Venter, Uzair Cassiem and Oupa Mohoje absent, the other members really need to step up.
Stay calm and give Damian Willemse some space
Perhaps because South African rugby has been starved of great flyhalves for years, we tend to get overexcited when a promising No 10 emerges.
Western Province’s 19-year-old Damian Willemse provided a highlight of the weekend with a stupendous individual try against the Blue Bulls at Newlands.
He really does look like the real deal but his still very raw.
Between the strokes of genius, there are still some elementary errors.
But he’s still a teenager so there’s no need to rush him … just enjoy the journey.
Maybe we shouldn’t expect the Bulls to tackle
Nollis Marais’ men looked hopeless in the first half at Newlands before pulling up their socks and playing some decent attacking rugby in the last 40 minutes.
While it’s understandable that people are criticising their defence, it’s probably unrealistic to expect a dramatic improvement over the next few weeks.
The Bulls, under new director of rugby John Mitchell, are playing catch-up.
They’re not only trying to improve their attacking play, they have to find a viable defensive pattern and get their conditioning up to scratch.
It’s a tall order to try and get those things right all at the same time.
Maybe then the Bulls should only focus on establishing their brand of rugby in this year’s tournament.
Lions shouldn’t really target silverware
For 45 minutes, the Lions looked as if they were acing their test against the high-flying Sharks.
Then hooker Robbie Coetzee was sent off and they collapsed.
The Lions also lost a few players to injury, illustrating how fragile their depth might be.
Due to their Super Rugby success, Swys de Bruin’s side is a bit off the pace in this year’s tournament.
They can still aim high but the priority has to be to build extra depth for 2018’s Super ’15’ campaign.
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