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Having spent five years in France, it’s interesting to compare the standard of rugby. Super Rugby is played at an unrelenting pace whereas in France, owing to the weather conditions, the game is a quite a bit slower.
There is no doubt that the tempo of the game and level of competition in Super Rugby is far tougher. In the French Top 14there are a few weaker teams which allows for key players to be rested, but in Super Rugby it’s crucial to always be at full strength.
After our disappointing display against the men from Sydney, our main theme this week is one of bouncing back. I believe that we are more than capable of doing so as we are team with great character and resilience.
What makes being part of the current Southern Kings’ setup so special is that we play for one another and there are no prima donnas in the side. Certain aspects of rugby can be trained, but character comes from within.
As a team we are looking forward to righting the wrongs against the Highlanders this Saturday.
Having defeated the Sharks, the Highlanders will arrive in South Africa with their tails in the air. In my view, they are a really good side and have had a run of bad luck this season.
The Highlanders– while yet to really click – will be a force to be reckoned with. We are looking forward to our final match ahead of our bye week and are determined to sign off on a positive note.
In order to do so, we will clearly have to sharpen up on defence - that facet of play simply wasn’t up to scratch against the Waratahs.
We suffered some lapses in concentration and slips in our defensive system, which cost us dearly. I believe that we need to cut down on our error-rate and return to what works best for us.
As one of the senior players in the side, I’m enjoying the added responsibility. It’s a role I relish because there are many guys in the team who are getting their first experience of Super Rugby. I offer input and advice wherever I can.
Sergeal Petersen is a player I have been really impressed with this season. At only 19, he has his whole rugby career in front of him. If he’s well managed there is no reason to suggest he can’t become the next Bryan Habana.
As a backline, we will have to be switched on this Saturday, because the Highlanders are a real threat with ball in hand. Their back three is potent and fullback Ben Smith, in particular, is in fine form.
From the start, we knew that our debut Super Rugby season would be a challenge, but it’s one we have embraced.
We are not outcome-driven but rather process-driven. We aim on getting our basics right and believe that if we follow the correct processes the results will take care of themselves.
We are certainly not going to lie down this weekend. We will be going flat out and as players aim to leave everything out on the field. We will never back down and will always give our best efforts.
As a proud South African, I want all our teams to do well, but at this stage of the season it looks as though the Bulls are the SA team to beat.
Ronnie Cooke, an IRB Junior World Cup-winner in 2005, first debuted in Super Rugby in 2006.
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