Pollard has played last game for WP
11 Jul 2012
WP flyhalf Handre Pollard will miss the rest of the U18 Craven Week after suffering a quad injury during the 47-27 loss to the Blue Bulls on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SCHOOLBOY DERBY NEWS
Pollard suffered the injury just before half-time of the day two feature match, but still finished the game. It affected his tackling ability and his goal kicking, which was evident when he miscued his first penalty attempt in the second stanza.
WP team manager Petri Stoffberg believes they should’ve substituted the player at the break.
‘In hindsight, we should’ve taken him off,’ Stoffberg told Schoolboy Derby. ‘But the rules of Craven Week forces each player to play a full game, and we can only substitute for serious medical reasons. We didn’t know his injury was that severe.
‘Leaving Handre on the field cost us on defence. He played very well in the first half, and was key in securing a lead at half-time. But he struggled in the second half, and we effectively defended with 14 men.’
The match against the Blue Bulls will be Pollard’s last for WP, having represented them at the U13, U16 and U18 provincial weeks. He will move to the Pretoria union once he finishes his matric year at Paarl Gym.
Excelsior flyhalf Dennis Cox is expected to take over WP’s flyhalf duties for their next game. Stoffberg added that there were also other options being considered, like Paul Roos fullback Jason Worrall.
WP will face SWD on Thursday, a team they lost to in a warm-up game shortly before the tournament. Stoffberg believes a stronger defensive effort will be needed for the win.
‘We need a simpler defensive structure plan in place. We just had a poor second half against the Bulls. We will improve in the next game.’
By Gareth Duncan, in Port Elizabeth
14 Comments
11 Jul 2012, 12:43 pm
There you go CharlesM…
Dragon names out of the woodwork for us…!
11 Jul 2012, 13:55 pm
Heard WP have signed Bulls 10 Ryno Eksteen?
11 Jul 2012, 13:57 pm
@ufo(ufo)-1: Yes sir! Very unfortunate, but really “in hindsight…………”. Why did they not substitute him at the break ? I’m not saying the result would have been different but then at least the manager did not have to say: ” we effectively defended with 14 men”
The problem for WP is the fact that Worrall does not have a great boot. I am not sure about Cox’s boot: in the trials he only kicked when necessary. Let’s hope he steps up !!
11 Jul 2012, 14:00 pm
@renoog(silent_shadow)-2: Yes. Pieter Jordaan of the Free State is moving to WP as well – so does the no 8 of the Bulls. As far I know the no 8 of WP is still U/18 next year.
11 Jul 2012, 16:55 pm
Enjoy Pretoria,bye
11 Jul 2012, 16:55 pm
Enjoy Pretoria
11 Jul 2012, 19:04 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-4: Good to know. Heard about the other 2 coming.
WP no 8 is indeed still in gr 11, Rikus Bothma, like him a lot.
I see Brenden Nel on Supersport has tried to kick up a fuss about WP losing an unknown Tygerberg schoolboy flyhalf to the Cheetahs. Why is this suddenly worth its own article? D*os
Still very interested to see whether J-L du Plessis sticks to rugby.
11 Jul 2012, 19:09 pm
The Paarl Boys flyhalf looked very decent this year….du plessis?
Was surprised when he wasn’t originally included in the Province Craven Week squad.
Could of walked into the Boland team where the Paarl schools should be!
11 Jul 2012, 19:13 pm
@renoog(silent_shadow)-2:
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-4:
Now that’s just impossible. WP don’t sign “foreign” players…they never have before
11 Jul 2012, 19:13 pm
@Seven(Seven)-8: Yes that’s du Plessis. My guess is the back-up flyhalf was never meant to get much/any game time with Pollard as captain, so they used him at academy week. Otherwise it was foolish to have left him out.
Really would have loved to see him now. Think he’s a more skilful flyhalf than Pollard, although Pollard bigger, better kicker, more reliable.
11 Jul 2012, 19:13 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-3: Is Jason Worral related to the ex MP Dennis Worral? Do you know?
11 Jul 2012, 19:14 pm
@ratel(ratel)-9: Has anyone ever actually said that?
11 Jul 2012, 19:16 pm
@renoog(silent_shadow)-10: yeah agreed, if he had Pollards size the two of them together at 10 and 12 could of wrecked havoc.
11 Jul 2012, 20:25 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-11: I’m not sure but I think he might be – I read an article a long time ago about him but I can’t recall it 100%
@renoog(silent_shadow)-7: Dewald Claasen is not a bad player but I don’t think he really is in that league. He might just perform well in the Free State’s running game. He was a good sevens player with a lot of ball sense – quite big as well.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.