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Kebble's son eyes WP debut

Cape Town - The son of former Springbok prop Guy Kebble, Oliver Kebble, will make his debut for the Western Province Vodacom Cup team from the bench in their clash against the SWD Eagles in Oudtshoorn on Saturday.

The 19-year old Kebble who already weighs a massive 128kg has only recently started training at the Western Province High Performance Centre in Bellville after arriving from playing club rugby in France two months ago.

According to the WP Vodacom Cup coach, John Dobson, Kebble is a tremendous prospect who has the ability to go all the way to the top.

“Ollie is a special player. Although he prefers loose head, he has the ability to pack down on both sides of the scrum. He is definitely more mobile and skilful than his dad,” quipped Dobson.

“I have no doubt that he has the potential to become a Springbok,” he added.

Kebble was born in Durban while his dad was playing Currie Cup rugby there for the Natal Sharks at the time. His family moved around the country a bit and he eventually ended up at Bishops Preparatory school in Cape Town.

He stayed there until Grade 11 where he played first team. He then went to England to do his A-Levels, which is similar to a post matric in South Africa. 

Kebble attended Dulwich College in London, which is regarded as one of the best rugby schools in the country. Besides playing for Dulwich, he was also part of the London Irish Academy.

In June last year he decided to go to France where he played club rugby in the French Second Division.

“It’s a very tough competition. There are always lots of fights. Of course I picked up quite a few of tricks, but I cannot use them in South Africa, because it’s a bit too dirty.

“But it was like going to scrum school in France. They place a lot of emphasis on scrums and always have lengthy scrummaging sessions. I picked up a lot of valuable experience. I think my scrumming has improved immensely which should help me quite a bit here,’’ he explained.

Kebble says he is looking forward to Saturday to make his WP debut.

“It’s something I have been dreaming about since I was young. My dad has given me lots of tips and just loves to watch me play. I’m sure he’ll be there on Saturday.

Kebble junior however has his sights set on much bigger things.

“It’s not just a short term plan for me. I want to go all the way from Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup to Super Rugby and of course the Springboks,” he said confidently.
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