By Jacques van der Westhuyzen
There is a massive difference between a good Currie Cup player and a Test Springbok. And the notion that a few Boks will not have a significant impact for their teams at Currie Cup level is absolutely ridiculous.
The provincial unions are rated according to Currie Cup success; that's all they're interested in and they also know that to achieve success they need to be at their best all the time, especially at this crucial stage of the competition. The bigger provinces also pay very good money to have the Boks in their ranks, so it's no surprise they want to get the most out of the men Jake White so desperately wants rested.
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It's a catch-22 for the provinces and players as Springbok rugby should always come first, but when everything else domestically, in rugby terms, is judged on the Currie Cup, it's no surprise the provinces have defied a request by White to give 10 Springboks time off.
| It's no surprise the provinces have defied a request by White |
The return of the Boks to Currie Cup action on the weekend yet again proved just how much these men mean to their teams. While the Lions are not affected by White's "untouchables" list, the
return to the team of Ricky Januarie, André Pretorius, Wayne Julies, Jaque Fourie and Lawrence Sephaka was telling against the Cheetahs even if the Lions' back division wasn't quite as lethal as it will be in the weeks ahead.
But where the "untouchables" certainly did have a mammoth impact, in Cape Town, one sees just why a man like Kobus van der Merwe wants his Boks available for action - maybe not for every game, but most definitely for the bigger clashes.
Jean de Villiers scored three tries for Western Province and alongside De Wet Barry made a Sharks outfit look way out of its depth. Not only were they dynamic and pure class on attack, their time together with the Boks also proved how much they had learned in defence, stopping the majority of attacking swoops by a Sharks backline that comprised such devastating runners like Ruan Pienaar, Brent Russell, Adrian Jacobs and JP Pietersen. Joe van Niekerk's performance in the back row also made him the standout loose forward on the field.
Just a few men with experience and confidence, because of their time in the Test arena, and Western Province all of a sudden look like a team that will again be among the genuine contenders for the title. A 47-19 win against a Sharks outfit that has been pretty good up to now was enough proof that the Boks should be playing Currie Cup rugby.
While John Smit and Percy Montgomery - in his first Currie Cup match for the men from Durban - may have been on the losing side this time round, they will still play crucial roles in the Sharks' semifinal aspirations.
The Blue Bulls, too, who recorded a resounding 49-30 win over Griquas, were proof of just how valuable Test experience is. Fourie du Preez enjoyed a good return to Currie Cup action, while Pedrie Wannenburg was back to his best. Bryan Habana played only 40 minutes, but his try-scoring hunger knows no limit.
This Bulls outfit, with Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha still to make their full return to action, will again be the side to beat.
In the other match on Friday night in Potchefstroom, the Leopards recorded their first win of the campaign, scoring a 50-47 win over Boland.
- This article was originally published on page 6 of The Star on September 12, 2005
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