Province demand more mongrel
Western Province forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot has challenged his tight five to change their attitude and get stuck into the Lions pack in their Currie Cup semifinal in Johannesburg this weekend.
Proudfoot was scathing in his appraisal of his pack's performance against the Pumas at Newlands last week - a match which saw them completely dominated in the scrums at times - and he has no doubt that they will need to make a big step up if they are to compete in their play-off on Saturday.
He told this website: "In order for us to win the semifinal then we will need a better attitude and personal fight from numbers one to five.
"I don't think there are technical issues, against the Pumas we nearly score a pushover try and then at the next scrum they push us off our ball - that is personal application.
"I think it was our worst engagement sequence of the competition, and to be fair to the Pumas they were no pushovers. That is where they attacked us and they put pressure on us so we are expecting the Lions to try and do the same," he explained.
The Cape side were bolstered by the return of a number of their Springbok stars last week, but none of them are tight forwards and Proudfoot pointed out that the big names cannot make a difference unless the bulky men up front make an impact and give them front foot ball to work with.
He said: "The Lions have a great scrummaging technique and so do we but that is not going to win us this competition. It is the side with the best application and the best fight.
"That is what I expect from one to five in particular, I want to see a response from those guys. To me it doesn't matter what we have got in the rest of the pack or the rest of the team - we have got world-class players there but they play on the backs of what numbers one to five provide them with," added the forwards coach.
The outspoken Proudfoot was adamant that he is not prepared to entertain any excuses and expects to see his pack step up their physicality in the knock-out battle this weekend.
"What are you going to say? 'Oh coach my shoulder popped', or 'I slipped my bind'? That is not good enough and that is how you lose semifinals.
"I want a personal response from one to five, I want them to have their best physical-mental games this weekend. You don't win semifinals by having the best scrummaging process or the best technique, you win them by having the best attitude and the best application," he said.
If the Province tight forwards do manage to lay a decent foundation then that should allow the men behind them to come into their own and put some serious pressure on the Lions.
"If we can deliver that to Schalk, Nick Köster and give Demetri Catrakilis the chance to control the game and bring guys like Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie into the game then we have a good chance.
"But if we are not going to do that then we can't expect guys like Jaque Fourie or Demetri to produce a moment of magic that will win us the game," said Proudfoot.
The Province forwards coach has been very impressed with the standard that the Lions pack, under the watchful eye of Johan Ackermann, have produced this season.
"That pack has been very good all year, they have scrummed well, they have competed on the ground very well and their line-out is exceptional so they are a tough pack of forwards.
"I think Johann Ackermann has been exceptional in his role as their forwards coach, the way he has moulded that pack together," added Proudfoot.
The Lions have used former loose forwards such as Franco van der Merwe, Wikus van Heerden and Michael Rhodes at lock this season and Proudfoot is expecting them to use their mobility to their advantage this weekend.
"I think John Mitchell's philosophy is that he wants the fittest side in the competition, particularly the fittest tight forwards that can outwork you.
"It is a little bit of a different philosophy than say what the Bulls will come with. The Bulls will come with a powerful tight five and batter you into submission.
"It is not easy moulding flanks into locks but they have done it well. Maybe because Johann is a lock and understands the position so well he has used all his experience. You don't win easy line-out ball against them and I think that is going to be the toughest part of the set game this weekend," he explained.
Last year's beaten finalists are expecting to have all of their players available for selection this weekend, despite flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis and tighthead prop Brok Harris sitting out of training on Tuesday with minor concerns.
Catrakilis sustained a minor concussion against the Pumas last week and Harris has a slight ankle niggle, and both did not train in order to give them the best possible chance of playing.
Proudfoot revealed: "We will make a final call on the injuries tomorrow. Brok Harris and Demetri Catrakilis didn't train and Hilton Lobberts had a partial session today.
"Brok has a little tweak of the ankle - he rolled it a little bit but nothing too serious. He has played 89 percent of the game-time in the competition so we just want to give him a good chance of being 100 percent fit," he said.
By Michael de Vries