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Cape Town - Western Province forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot says he's not too worried about his young front row ahead of the Currie Cup final against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
There's been a lot of talk about a possible struggle in that department for the Capetonians - who are expected to field youngsters Steven Kitshoff, Siyabonga "Scarra" Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe for the Kings Park showpiece.
There the young trio - all 21 years and under - will come up against a much more experienced Sharks front row, which includes Springboks Beast Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis - who is reportedly expected to be ready despite suffering concussion last week.
WP struggled at scrum time in their semi-final against the Lions last week, and it was also in that department where the Sharks got the better of the Stormers in the Super Rugby semi-final earlier this year.
However, Proudfoot has assured concerned WP fans that they've assessed the situation thoroughly.
"We have a few plans that we've worked on," he told the Beeld website. "But firstly, it's about technique, confidence and solid, hard co-operation. I have faith in Frans Malherbe. He's starting to develop nicely and has all the capabilities."
The coach did acknowledge the threat the Sharks poses and admitted they'll be travelling to Durban as underdogs.
"The Sharks are a fantastic team. Very few teams have managed to make the Super Rugby and Currie Cup finals (in one year) - it's a huge achievement. I wouldn't argue that they're the favourites."
The clash at Kings Park kicks off at 17:00 on Saturday.
There's been a lot of talk about a possible struggle in that department for the Capetonians - who are expected to field youngsters Steven Kitshoff, Siyabonga "Scarra" Ntubeni and Frans Malherbe for the Kings Park showpiece.
There the young trio - all 21 years and under - will come up against a much more experienced Sharks front row, which includes Springboks Beast Mtawarira and Jannie du Plessis - who is reportedly expected to be ready despite suffering concussion last week.
WP struggled at scrum time in their semi-final against the Lions last week, and it was also in that department where the Sharks got the better of the Stormers in the Super Rugby semi-final earlier this year.
However, Proudfoot has assured concerned WP fans that they've assessed the situation thoroughly.
"We have a few plans that we've worked on," he told the Beeld website. "But firstly, it's about technique, confidence and solid, hard co-operation. I have faith in Frans Malherbe. He's starting to develop nicely and has all the capabilities."
The coach did acknowledge the threat the Sharks poses and admitted they'll be travelling to Durban as underdogs.
"The Sharks are a fantastic team. Very few teams have managed to make the Super Rugby and Currie Cup finals (in one year) - it's a huge achievement. I wouldn't argue that they're the favourites."
The clash at Kings Park kicks off at 17:00 on Saturday.
