Youngsters kept WP hopes alive

Western Province coach Allister Coetzee and captain Jean de Villiers both lauded the youngsters who had kept Province's Currie Cup hopes alive while the team's six Springboks were on World Cup duty.

Speaking after his team's 43-18 win over the Pumas at Newlands on Saturday, Coetzee described the Currie Cup experience gained by the youngsters as "priceless".

And De Villiers - who led the team with Schalk Burger playing off the replacements' bench - was also full of praise for the contribution of the young players who had been carrying the Province flag in the absence of the Springboks and while the team suffered numerous injuries.

Coetzee, as one would expect, was also satisfied with the win over the Pumas.

"It was a job well done, mission accomplished," he said.

"We've been working towards a play-off spot and I must congratulate the players - especially the young players - who've put us in the position where we can still compete in the competition.

"Having the Boks back is a timeous situation; it's good to be alive in the competition still."

Coetzee praised the youngsters for having stood up so well in terms of physicality, with their away wins over Griquas and the Sharks highlights of the Currie Cup campaign.

"The youngsters really stood up to be counted. To give any youngsters 200 to 600 minutes of Currie Cup rugby is priceless. It's not something you can get anywhere else. You've go to experience it.

"We know now who can play at this level and above," Coetzee emphasised.

The coach added: "It's been a tough season and it's really satisfying to have a position in the semifinals. It was a tough outing there today [Saturday]. The Pumas pointed out a few things we need to work on this week before we can beat the Lions."

Coetzee believed the Pumas pack should not be underrated. They were big and physical and had given the Cheetahs and Lions very hard games.

"At one stage of the game they really gave us a hard time in the scrums."

Coetzee was concerned about set piece inaccuracy and team cohesion. But the general attack was pleasing, with good ball-carrying leading to some excellent tries.

The coach said flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, who came off injured in the 57th minute, did not suffer a serious injury and would be fit for the semifinal.

Looking ahead to the game against the Lions next week, Coetzee commented: "It was good to have played against them last week. We know exactly what to expect from the Lions. That was close to their best team and as Currie Cup log-leaders they have a lot of confidence. It's going to be tough.

"[But] we were without our six Springboks last week and those Boks are going to have to show their worth next week!"

With the Province Under-19 and Under-21 teams also playing in semifinals next week - the U21 team achieving a home semifinal despite injuries and having had a host of players moving up to the Currie Cup team - Coetzee praised Rassie Erasmus for the structures he had set up in the province.

Having the junior teams "singing from the same hymn sheet and speaking the same rugby language" made it easier for youngsters to move up.

Coetzee said the blueprint laid down by Erasmus meant the Under-19 and Under-21 teams played to the same structures as the seniors. Erasmus had done, Coetzee believed, a "tremendous job".

De Villiers was happy with the victory and pleased at Province getting through to the semifinal.

"We didn't play well but it was a good win," said the 72-Test cap Springbok centre.

"It was disappointing to come back from a [World Cup] campaign where we really had a lot of hope of being successful - to come back so prematurely - but we've got another chance [to achieve] in the Currie Cup.

"The youngsters did well to keep our hopes alive in the competition and now we'll do everything we can to get a win next week.

"It's definitely not going to be easy," De Villiers stressed.

"We saw what happened last week [against the Lions]. There's a lot of work ahead this week. The cohesion of the team, the first phase, first phase defence, attack, everything - there's a lot of work to do."

De Villiers was adamant that the Province Springboks would be ready for the semifinal.

Only Schalk Burger and Jaque Fourie had played a lot of rugby at the World Cup and he felt that recovery from the mental tiredness and disappointment was more of an issue than physical fatigue.

By Len Kaplan at Newlands