Jóhann Thormählen
Bloemfontein – Free State can learn from the Sharks as to how to beat Western Province in Friday evening’s Currie Cup match at Newlands.
It appears as if the Durbanites have found a winning recipe this year for playing the powerful Cape team.
Not only did the Sharks give WP their first hiding of this year’s Currie Cup by beating them 27-16 at the weekend, but they also beat the Stormers 20-14 in the Super 14.
The Cape side were the favourites ahead of both matches and their opponents had to be at their best to be able to win.
Province were virtually unstoppable before their defeat to the Sharks and the Stormers reached the Super 14 final.
Free State backline coach Hawies Fourie said that the Sharks had definitely beaten WP with a good plan.
“The Sharks beat the Stormers in the Super 14 and WP in the Currie Cup with more or less the same plan. They did that by playing with their forwards a lot and also directly,” he said.
“Province normally ensure that they don’t commit too many players to the rucks and the Sharks managed to pull a number of them in.
“The likes of Bismarck du Plessis and Willem Alberts gave the Sharks a lot of momentum on attack, while Ryan Kankowski was also very good. There are few players with his pace and power that will be able to score a try like his against WP.”
The Cheetahs have enough firepower with the likes of No 8 Ashley Johnson, hooker Adriaan Strauss and prop Coenie Oosthuizen to achieve a similar feat against the Cape side.
While Free State have struggled to play well as a team in 2010, the trio have provided gamebreaking moments and their performances will be crucial against WP.
On top of that centre Robert Ebersohn also stepped up against the Leopards. That is particularly pleasing ahead of the first game of the Currie Cup’s second round.
Fourie believes it was important for the Cheetahs’ confidence that they attacked well against the Leopards, but believes they still made too many unnecessary errors like knock-ons.
“We have to show the same urgency than we did against the Leopards when we play WP,” he said.
“You have to go and score a try when you manage to create something against WP. If not, you won’t win the match,” he said.
Bloemfontein – Free State can learn from the Sharks as to how to beat Western Province in Friday evening’s Currie Cup match at Newlands.
It appears as if the Durbanites have found a winning recipe this year for playing the powerful Cape team.
Not only did the Sharks give WP their first hiding of this year’s Currie Cup by beating them 27-16 at the weekend, but they also beat the Stormers 20-14 in the Super 14.
The Cape side were the favourites ahead of both matches and their opponents had to be at their best to be able to win.
Province were virtually unstoppable before their defeat to the Sharks and the Stormers reached the Super 14 final.
Free State backline coach Hawies Fourie said that the Sharks had definitely beaten WP with a good plan.
“The Sharks beat the Stormers in the Super 14 and WP in the Currie Cup with more or less the same plan. They did that by playing with their forwards a lot and also directly,” he said.
“Province normally ensure that they don’t commit too many players to the rucks and the Sharks managed to pull a number of them in.
“The likes of Bismarck du Plessis and Willem Alberts gave the Sharks a lot of momentum on attack, while Ryan Kankowski was also very good. There are few players with his pace and power that will be able to score a try like his against WP.”
The Cheetahs have enough firepower with the likes of No 8 Ashley Johnson, hooker Adriaan Strauss and prop Coenie Oosthuizen to achieve a similar feat against the Cape side.
While Free State have struggled to play well as a team in 2010, the trio have provided gamebreaking moments and their performances will be crucial against WP.
On top of that centre Robert Ebersohn also stepped up against the Leopards. That is particularly pleasing ahead of the first game of the Currie Cup’s second round.
Fourie believes it was important for the Cheetahs’ confidence that they attacked well against the Leopards, but believes they still made too many unnecessary errors like knock-ons.
“We have to show the same urgency than we did against the Leopards when we play WP,” he said.
“You have to go and score a try when you manage to create something against WP. If not, you won’t win the match,” he said.