Cape Town - Western Province against the Blue Bulls in a Currie Cup semi-final will always be a big match. But for WP loose forward Kobus van Dyk, the stage will seem even bigger when the sides meet on Saturday. Oh, and it’s at Loftus.
This is Van Dyk’s first season in the Currie Cup and after featuring for Maties in the Varsity Cup, he hasn’t played in a lot of “big” matches.
In fact, the 22-year-old ranks Maties' 7-6 defeat to Pukke in this year’s Varsity Cup final as the biggest match he has played in. From Varsity Cup to a semi against the Bulls at Loftus. What a leap.
“It’s probably my biggest game. It’s my first season playing (in the Currie Cup). The Varsity Cup final was (previously) the biggest game I’ve played. So it is going to be a good match and I’m looking forward to it, to see where I stand,” Van Dyk said.
But Van Dyk has had a good first season for WP. He has started all but one of their matches this season, their first match against the Bulls.
Van Dyk was also named WP's Most Promising Forward at the union’s awards ceremony two weeks ago - an honour which the flank says he wasn’t expecting at all.
“For me, it’s gone well. I enjoy it a lot playing here. It has always been my dream to play for Western Province, so I feel this has been a good first season, and hopefully Saturday is going to make it even better,” he added.
“It is my first season and I’m a young player in the squad. It was a real privilege getting it (the award) and it motivates me to work harder.”
Ahead of Saturday's semi-final, Van Dyk also voiced what he thought to be the biggest differences between Varsity Cup or junior rugby, and senior Currie Cup rugby.
“You can’t make a mistake here, the smallest detail counts. At the lower levels, it’s not that players aren’t good, it’s just that here, the team that does the small things right win the competitions,” he said.
And one of those not-so-small things which Van Dyk singled out that WP have to get right against the Bulls are their lineouts.
But he seems quite confident about their chances at the set-piece battle, especially with the return of Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi.
“At the training session (on Monday), Bongi talked a lot and he brought the guys together. He is really making a big impact, especially his lineout throws. He knows all the detail. He just came in and made a big difference,” Van Wyk said.
“We are going to go hard for their balls in the lineouts. If we can do well to contest them then we can take away a lot of their attacking ball. So I think we have a good chance.”
One would think that the nerves would be eating away at Van Dyk given the magnitude of this weekend's match, but all that anticipation seems to be having a galvanising effect on him.
“The nerves are fine. I’m alright at the moment, but I think the closer it gets to game time it’s going to be a big factor. But it makes me for excited, it doesn’t make me more scared,” he said.
Western Province against the Blue Bulls in a Currie Cup semi-final will always be a big match. But for WP loose forward Kobus van Dyk, the stage will seem even bigger when the sides meet on Saturday. Oh, and it’s at Loftus.
This is Van Dyk’s first season in the Currie Cup and after featuring for Maties in the Varsity Cup, he hasn’t played in a lot of “big” matches.
In fact, the 22-year-old ranks Maties' 7-6 defeat to Pukke in this year’s Varsity Cup final as the biggest match he has played in. From Varsity Cup to a semi against the Bulls at Loftus. What a leap.
“It’s probably my biggest game. It’s my first season playing (in the Currie Cup). The Varsity Cup final was (previously) the biggest game I’ve played. So it is going to be a good match and I’m looking forward to it, to see where I stand,” Van Dyk said.
But Van Dyk has had a good first season for WP. He has started all but one of their matches this season, their first match against the Bulls.
Van Dyk was also named WP's Most Promising Forward at the union’s awards ceremony two weeks ago - an honour which the flank says he wasn’t expecting at all.
“For me, it’s gone well. I enjoy it a lot playing here. It has always been my dream to play for Western Province, so I feel this has been a good first season, and hopefully Saturday is going to make it even better,” he added.
“It is my first season and I’m a young player in the squad. It was a real privilege getting it (the award) and it motivates me to work harder.”
Ahead of Saturday's semi-final, Van Dyk also voiced what he thought to be the biggest differences between Varsity Cup or junior rugby, and senior Currie Cup rugby.
“You can’t make a mistake here, the smallest detail counts. At the lower levels, it’s not that players aren’t good, it’s just that here, the team that does the small things right win the competitions,” he said.
And one of those not-so-small things which Van Dyk singled out that WP have to get right against the Bulls are their lineouts.
But he seems quite confident about their chances at the set-piece battle, especially with the return of Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi.
“At the training session (on Monday), Bongi talked a lot and he brought the guys together. He is really making a big impact, especially his lineout throws. He knows all the detail. He just came in and made a big difference,” Van Wyk said.
“We are going to go hard for their balls in the lineouts. If we can do well to contest them then we can take away a lot of their attacking ball. So I think we have a good chance.”
One would think that the nerves would be eating away at Van Dyk given the magnitude of this weekend's match, but all that anticipation seems to be having a galvanising effect on him.
“The nerves are fine. I’m alright at the moment, but I think the closer it gets to game time it’s going to be a big factor. But it makes me for excited, it doesn’t make me more scared,” he said.
Cape Times