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WP title a dream for De Waal

Stephen Nell

Cape Town – Willem de Waal is in the final stages of a remarkable rugby career in South Africa, but one ambition remains before packing his bags for Treviso in Italy: to win the Currie Cup with Western Province.

While the veteran flyhalf is largely considered an icon of Free State rugby, he is really from the Cape. He was born in Paarl and studied at the University of Stellenbosch.

“It will be a highlight to be able to do it with WP. How can you grow up in Paarl and not be a WP fan? I remember those golden years in the 1980s. Free State was my second team then and I have been fortunate to play for the sides that I have felt a connection with,” he said.

Like any other player De Waal has his limitations, but the statistics from his career simply command respect. He moved past Eric Herbert as the second leading points-scorer in Currie Cup history at the weekend and his total now stands on 1412.

Only Naas Botha, on 1699, has scored more Currie Cup points than De Waal.

De Waal started every Currie Cup game for WP this year except the one against the Leopards at Newlands. He succeeded with 77 of his 89 kicks at posts for a success ratio of 87%.

He is the competition’s leading points-scorer on 199 and that total would have been more had WP not regularly substituted him to develop youngsters such as Lionel Cronjé and Gary van Aswegen at Currie Cup level.

For those who like hammering on De Waal’s limitations – his defence is sometimes suspect and overdoing tactical kicking can take outside backs out of the game – there is only one question: Which flyhalves in South Africa would you want to take a vital kick in a pressure situation in a Currie Cup semifinal or final?

Anyone who answers that honestly will name De Waal with Morné Steyn.

De Waal is underestimated as distributor and his inclusion does not mean that WP won’t have the ability to use the ball in the right areas of the field. And therein lies the key – getting in those promising positions.

Each one of De Waal’s previous two tournaments with WP in 2008 and 2009 were cut short by major injuries.

The Stormers originally planned to start with him as their first-choice flyhalf in the Super 14 with Peter Grant at inside centre, but De Waal was still a little hesitant after spending a lengthy period on the sidelines with a neck injury.

That gave Grant the chance to stake his claim as flyhalf before his sojourn to Japan meant that De Waal could start piecing together the pieces of the jigsaw for his one remaining Currie Cup dream.

Grant will be back in February for the Stormers and by then De Waal will be attending evening classes to learn Italian.

But don’t underestimate De Waal’s passion for WP these next few weeks.

One-dimensional? Sometimes.

A match-winner? Definitely.

De Waal’s Currie Cup 2010 kicking record:
 
Free State (away): 7/7
Lions (home): 6/7
Leopards (away): 5/7
Pumas (home): 6/7
Griquas (away): 7/8
Bulls (home): 5/5
Sharks (away): 3/4
Free State (home): 4/5
Lions (away): 5/6
Leopards (home): 3/3
Pumas (away): 7/7
Griquas (home) 5/6
Bulls (away): 8/9
Sharks (home) 6/8

Total: 77/89 (87%)

De Waal’s Currie Cup Record

259 for the Leopards
811 for Free State
342 for WP
1412 points in total

Leading points-scorer in the Currie Cup:

2004 (192 points)
2005 (195 points)
2006 (212 points)
2007 (212 points)

Currie Cup winner with Free State in 2005, 2006 (shared with Blue Bulls), 2007

Currie Cup player of the tournament in 2007
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