Publications
Partners
Stephen Nell
Cape Town – Emotion will not get in the way of Ross Skeate giving it his all when the Sharks use him as an impact player against Western Province in their Currie Cup match in Durban on Saturday night.
Skeate (28), who has been picked on the Sharks’ substitutes bench this week, was WP’s captain for a while in 2008. He then joined French club side Toulon before returning to South Africa this year to make Durban his new home.
“I’m very happy here. It was a difficult decision because I had the option of returning to the Cape. The positive talks I had with John Plumtree (coach) and Rudolf Straeuli (commercial manager) made it easier,” said Skeate.
“The team is well coached and there are good structures here. The Sharks have really impressed me with their professionalism.”
Those compliments could just as well be directed at WP these days and that is what makes Saturday’s top-of-the-log encounter such an intriguing one.
“It won’t be emotional for me. It will be easy enough to focus on the game, but it’s also the first time that I will be playing against the hoops,” said Skeate.
“I think it will feel strange to run out at Newlands (if that happens further down the line).”
Skeate views the current WP side as a “very dangerous outfit with and without the ball”.
“The basis of a good team was already there when I left the Cape. You can see the hand of Rassie Erasmus (director of coaching) and there are good coaches in Allister Coetzee, Matt Proudfoot and Robbie Fleck,” said Skeate.
While he won’t manage it off the substitutes bench, Skeate hopes to ultimately get enough game time at the Sharks to stake his claim for the Springbok squad.
“It’s definitely in the back of my mind. Any South African player wants to make the Bok squad. It has always been my ambition,” said Skeate.
“I will, however, have to play regularly in a top side. I feel I have reached maturity as a player.”
He believes the Sharks’ Steven Sykes and Alistair Hargreaves will be measuring themselves against a good WP lock pairing of Adriaan Fondse and Anton van Zyl.
“Fondse is an under-rated player. Anton is also performing very well and is playing the best rugby of his career,” he said.
The match will determine which team tops the Currie Cup log after the first round of matches.
Cape Town – Emotion will not get in the way of Ross Skeate giving it his all when the Sharks use him as an impact player against Western Province in their Currie Cup match in Durban on Saturday night.
Skeate (28), who has been picked on the Sharks’ substitutes bench this week, was WP’s captain for a while in 2008. He then joined French club side Toulon before returning to South Africa this year to make Durban his new home.
“I’m very happy here. It was a difficult decision because I had the option of returning to the Cape. The positive talks I had with John Plumtree (coach) and Rudolf Straeuli (commercial manager) made it easier,” said Skeate.
“The team is well coached and there are good structures here. The Sharks have really impressed me with their professionalism.”
Those compliments could just as well be directed at WP these days and that is what makes Saturday’s top-of-the-log encounter such an intriguing one.
“It won’t be emotional for me. It will be easy enough to focus on the game, but it’s also the first time that I will be playing against the hoops,” said Skeate.
“I think it will feel strange to run out at Newlands (if that happens further down the line).”
Skeate views the current WP side as a “very dangerous outfit with and without the ball”.
“The basis of a good team was already there when I left the Cape. You can see the hand of Rassie Erasmus (director of coaching) and there are good coaches in Allister Coetzee, Matt Proudfoot and Robbie Fleck,” said Skeate.
While he won’t manage it off the substitutes bench, Skeate hopes to ultimately get enough game time at the Sharks to stake his claim for the Springbok squad.
“It’s definitely in the back of my mind. Any South African player wants to make the Bok squad. It has always been my ambition,” said Skeate.
“I will, however, have to play regularly in a top side. I feel I have reached maturity as a player.”
He believes the Sharks’ Steven Sykes and Alistair Hargreaves will be measuring themselves against a good WP lock pairing of Adriaan Fondse and Anton van Zyl.
“Fondse is an under-rated player. Anton is also performing very well and is playing the best rugby of his career,” he said.
The match will determine which team tops the Currie Cup log after the first round of matches.
