Kitshoff ‘right guy off the bench’

Gallo Images

ENERGETIC: Siyabonga Skara Ntubeni goes on the charge against the Lions last week. Skara has made a hell of an impact when he has come on, Western Province coach Allister Coetzee said yesterday after naming Ntubeni in the starting line-up against the Blue Bulls.

Ashfak Mohamed

STORMERS No 1 Steven Kitshoff has been dropped from the Western Province starting line-up for Saturday’s north-south derby against the Blue Bulls at Newlands, although coach Allister Coetzee says he can “make a big impact” off the bench.

The 20-year-old Kitshoff has been the first-choice loosehead prop for the Stormers in Super Rugby and has been one of the mainstays for the team, but after enduring some tough moments against Lions tighthead Jacobie Adriaanse last week – which forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot described as “naïve” – Kitshoff has made way for veteran Springbok Deon Carstens.

But if Kitshoff is the best loosehead in the province – which he certainly is – then surely he should be starting on Saturday?

Carstens was solid against the Bulls in Super Rugby at Loftus in June this year, when Kitshoff was unavailable as he had joined up with the Baby Boks for the IRB Junior World Championship.

“It’s important to note that Deon played well up there in Super Rugby, and Kitsie is the right guy to come off the bench and make a big impact instead of the other way around,” Coetzee explained after practice at Newlands yesterday.

“The Bulls have a settled pack and team, so we, as a 22, the guys on the bench also need to make an impact.”

Carstens’s experience may be valuable against someone like Bulls No 3 Werner Kruger, who will be determined to make a big statement after he was again left out of the Springbok squad yesterday. But Kitshoff has proven that he is the best bet at loosehead prop, and should be wearing the No 1 on Saturday.

As expected, captain Deon Fourie shifts from hooker over to openside flank once more due to all the Springbok call-ups and injuries, and that sees youngster Siyabonga “Skara” Ntubeni getting his first Currie Cup start.

The other changes come at outside centre, where exciting youngster JP du Plessis replaces Springbok Juan de Jongh, while Dewaldt Duvenage is recalled at scrumhalf.

Louis Schreuder misses out completely as part of the rotation policy at No 9, with livewire halfback Nic Groom on the bench.

The absence of Tiaan Liebenberg, Tyrone Holmes and Duane Vermeulen sees WP employ a brand-new loose trio of Fourie, fit-again Rynhardt Elstadt and Canadian No 8 Jebb Sinclair, which is a well balanced combination.

Maties captain Helmut Lehmann is a WP reserve for the first time, and Coetzee said that he is a similar player to Holmes – “he is hard on the ground like Tyrone, he’s a good tackler and plays towards the ball”.

Ntubeni has been an energetic presence off the bench for Province this year. “It’s a great opportunity for Skara – he’s played well, and with our captain having to shift to flank, all credit to Deon. That’s why he is the captain,” Coetzee said.

“He understands when the team needs him in a different role, there are no issues with that. He has done that role as the forager and player on the ground before. Skara has made a hell of an impact when he has come on, so it’s good to have both those players in the side.”

Vermeulen and De Jongh still trained with WP on Tuesday (Vermeulen also took part yesterday at Newlands), so it has been a difficult week for the coaching staff.

“It’s a big blow obviously, and it’s nice to have them in your side. It’s maybe disruptive in the sense that I only heard on Tuesday. We had two sessions with them, and then only got confirmation. But life goes on. Our preparation has gone well,” Coetzee said.

“It definitely doesn’t make my job easier, but that is why we are in this business – as a coach, number one is to make sure that you get your players to become Springboks. Last year, we had 12 Under-21 players coming through the ranks. It’s great for our development of players for Super Rugby.”

Meanwhile, discarded Springbok JJ Engelbrecht will start at left wing for the Bulls on Saturday. Engelbrecht played at outside centre for most of the Super Rugby season, but another former WP player in Johann Sadie was picked at No 13.