Durban - Sharks assistant coach Robert du Preez breaks into a wry grin when asked if there have been any prickly selection meetings this season regarding his twins sons, Jean-Luc and Daniel, and his answer in the negative is probably because the pair have been playing out of their skins.
They have been first-choice inclusions in the loose trio all season, and rightly so, but there will come a time when one or both might need to be rotated or, possibly, dropped.
The 52-year-old Du Preez says the question about perceived bias towards his sons was inevitable but he is adamant that he and his sons are too professional for it to ever be an issue.
”First and foremost I am a father, but that certainly does not mean I will give them any special treatment,” the former Springbok, Bulls and Sharks scrumhalf said.
“They are professional enough to know how it works. For me it is a privilege to coach them. Not many dads get the opportunity to coach their kids at this level. It is a unique situation, and I am very proud of how they are playing. As a coach and a father, I am making sure they keep their feet on the ground and understand that there is a lot of hard work ahead of them.
”Du Preez played seven Tests for the Boks shortly after South Africa were readmitted to the international arena but he would have played many more had he not been in the twilight of his career in 1992-1993, with his best years lost to isolation. He finished his career at the Sharks and has remained in Durban ever since, enjoying a successful business career.
He has enjoyed coaching success at the province of his upbringing, the Leopards (he is Potchefstroom raised) and at club level in Durban with College Rovers.Du Preez is now the attack coach at the Sharks and later this year will be head coach of the Currie Cup team.”It has been a smooth comeback to the Sharks set-up,” he said.
“The management team is well run by Gary Gold and we are a happy bunch of guys and that transfers to the team. They feed off a well run coaching staff.
”As attack coach, Du Preez wants more from his charges, and is confident the tries will come.”We have the firepower to have an awesome attack,” he said.
“Our defence has been outstanding this season but we need to get our attack up to the same level. We are reasonably happy with where we are. The game against the Hurricanes was a turning point for us in terms of the attack, we showed what we could do against a top New Zealand team, but then the Jaguares game was a different type of game (a streetfight) and it became about doing whatever we needed to do to get a back to back win.
”Du Preez said the four points fashioned out of an old-fashioned scrap, with loads of Argie bargie, are absolutely crucial to the Sharks’ prospects in the tournament.”We were very relieved to get the points,” Du Preez said.
“It was a very tough assignment. We flew over on the Wednesday, had one practice and then were into a battle. The type of rugby the Jaguares play keeps you on your toes all the time.
”We had little possession (37 percent) and it became about defending for our lives, and the guys showed huge character,” he added.
They also took some hefty knocks and the odd bite. One Jaguare players was yellow carded in the game and the citing officer later picked out two players for red card offences.
Flank Leonardo Senatore was suspended for 10 weeks for biting Keegan Daniel and captain and hooker Agustin Creevy has been banned for a week for a dangerous tackle on Jean Deysel, who was stretchered from the field with a neck concern.”Fortunately Jean is okay.
There was no fracture and while he will be out this week (for the home game against the Kings), we are not sure when he will be back. But it is not serious,” Du Preez said.
“We also lost Michael Claassens in the warm-up to a groin injury and that obviously will mean an opportunity this week for Stefan Ungerer to start.”
The Mercury