Collective will won it for WP
29 Oct 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day newspaper column, says Western Province lifted the Currie Cup in Durban because they played as a team.
World Cup-winning coach Jake White was often quoted as saying the 15 best players don’t necessarily make for the best XV. Rugby, White argued, was a team game and he viewed the team as a collective.
Western Province, in beating the Sharks in the Currie Cup final in Durban, won it with a team effort. Individuals were inspirational, but it was the collective will of the team that saw them overturn a 12-3 deficit to win the title for the first time in 11 years.
Springbok and Bulls legend Victor Matfield, in summary of Province’s last minute semi-final win against the Lions a week earlier, suggested the 20m rolling maul was massive in the context of the team dynamic and that it could finally see Province turn individual potential into team reward.
There has always been a feeling among players up north that the delights of playing for Western Province (and the Stormers in Super Rugby) give players a celebrity like status in Cape Town and that the individual often stands taller than any team collective.
Brilliant individuals played for Province and the Stormers in the last decade but as a team they always fell short of success in the Currie Cup and Super Rugby. Something always seemed to be missing and Matfield felt the way this Province team worked for the win against the Lions and the way eight forwards worked in unison and refused to be beaten in the last minute of the game was something he had not seen from a Province team.
Just maybe, said Matfield, this is the start of something special.
Just maybe it is because the semi-final was not won on individual brilliance and neither was the final. Sure there inspiring individual performances, especially from lock Eben Etzebeth, but the most inspiring aspect was how the players believed in each other and played with the cohesion of players who believed that to win it they had to believe in the qualities of their team-mates.
Province were underdogs and not expected to win so they also had an advantage in that there wasn’t expectation. It does make a final easier when so few anticipate victory, even if so many hope for the victory.
The Sharks were expected to win. Their match 22 had superior pedigree. They demolished the Bulls in the semi-final and they were playing at home.
Their players also expected to win and if anything mentally they didn’t give the final the necessary respect. They will dispute this but they played like a team who believed the opposition wasn’t good enough to win. I’d argue their focus was wrongly on who they were playing instead of the fact that they were playing in a final.
The intensity and edge needed to compete and win a final wasn’t there from the Sharks. All the edge came from the visitors.
Supporters will ask how is it possible not to pitch for a final? It’s certainly not through a lack of desire. Experienced coaches always warn of the danger of players being too hyped in their preparation and mentally playing the game in the week and being drained come match day. This wasn’t one of those occasions because there wouldn’t have been doubt within the Sharks camp that they could be successful.
The Sharks coaches would have feared complacency, but no matter the caution a player has to believe he could lose if he is to ensure he doesn’t. I just don’t think it ever occurred to the Sharks players they could lose and sport continues to produces finals in which the overwhelming favourites get done in a one-off because the desire to win is not matched by the fear of potentially losing.
The better team on the day won and it’s hard to argue with a result that goes to the team that gets it right. Province got it right in the final. They deserve every ovation for the performance.
I also think Bok coach Heyneke Meyer and his selectors deserve applause for being bold enough to select London-based Saracens hooker Schalk Brits in the Bok squad.
It sends a positive message that if you play well enough you will get selected, regardless of where you are based or how old you are.
Brits has played well enough, especially in the last two seasons. Equally so the Toulouse-based former Bulls prop Gurthro Steenkamp, who is another deserving national call-up.
659 Comments
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29 Oct 2012, 13:46 pm
@Skeppie-247:
“… typically immodest WPians on here today…”
and you see this nowhere else?
29 Oct 2012, 13:46 pm
Hg is a sucker for punishment.The fool,still,just can’t or refuse to see the oncoming train.BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.Wakey wakey HG.
29 Oct 2012, 13:47 pm
@BokkeYouBeauties-250: Not sure that is true, I dont think there is much in the conditioning comparison. That JDJ try sunk us, it was a brilliant piece of individual work and from there Province just started to dominate. Catrikilis also came to the party big time int he second half. Sharks we also out done by an excellent WP defence.
29 Oct 2012, 13:48 pm
@Hoops-209: Alberts was sh.yte actually… and the way he has underperformed in many crucial matches makes his position a little less secure next year in S15…
Starting with Alberts was one of Plum’s mistakes… Deysel should have instead… But thats the benefit of hindsight…
No excuses offered up… WP deserved their win against the overwhelming favourites much like the Lions last year…
Just farken laughing myarse off at suddenly seeing how much the CC counts to those who been saying the last couple of months that it is now irrelevant with WP fans and journos at the front of that queue…
You kno.bbers just keep proving yourselves over… and over again… Schweet
29 Oct 2012, 13:49 pm
@Heavens Game-246:
And you talk about being a rugby player, if you indeed were, you’d know your trolling would not be accepted by any rugby team.
When last did you even play a club game?
29 Oct 2012, 13:49 pm
@Stawm-251: Oh no, I think 90% of people on this sit fir into that category…..but it isn’t wrong is it?
29 Oct 2012, 13:49 pm
@Skeppie-256: Definitley including my fellow sharks supporters just to add.
29 Oct 2012, 13:49 pm
@Skeppie-247: Thanks skeppie.It’s so difficult to stay humble…..but i will try.
29 Oct 2012, 13:50 pm
Just imagine how many calls were made in CT with the line “You remember you told me you’d shag me if WP wins the Currie Cup?”….
29 Oct 2012, 13:50 pm
@Heavens Game-246: I’d ask you if that’s the best you can do
But we all know the answer to that one.
29 Oct 2012, 13:50 pm
@Nikita-239: Nikki Nikita… If you caught up with me on Sat you could have smoked more than Boom in celebration…
You might even have done a sympathy choke in solidarity with the Sharks too…
On Sat night… with HG
29 Oct 2012, 13:51 pm
@wnbb-258: HAHAHA I am sure you will. Anyway sport is sport and to the victor go the spoils…that’s the way of it. No complaints WP deserved to win full stop.
29 Oct 2012, 13:53 pm
@Heavens Game-254:
Alberts is like the French in rugby and Pakistan in cricket.
Their performance is based on what side the bed they get up from.
29 Oct 2012, 13:54 pm
@Dazzler-255: This is no rugby team… and there are certainly few rugby players past or present on this piece of the WP propaganda web….
A rugby team implies respect… for team mates and opposition…
My respect for majority of posters, other than two handfuls of bloodygood okes is pretty minimal…
I just come here to take thepiss out of some of you fantasizing fools and have rip roaring fun on your account…
29 Oct 2012, 13:55 pm
@Jeraldjay-263:
Excellent
29 Oct 2012, 13:55 pm
@Skeppie-262: Your Sharks team also deserves praise for not giving up and contributing to a great final.
29 Oct 2012, 13:56 pm
@Heavens Game-254: I stand by my statement – The Boks should not be playing ANY CC rugby (except fringe players).
I also stand by this one: I wouldn’t care if WP never won another Currie Cup, if it were for the greater good of Sringbok rugby.
BUT: the Boks did play, and the guppie ones went missing, and WP did win, at your ‘tank’.
For you this must feel like someone breaking into your home and trying on your leopard skin mankini g-strings. Violated.
29 Oct 2012, 13:58 pm
@Heavens Game-264:
You wouldn’t know the meaning of respect if it was tattooed on your hand.
Well, who knows, maybe we’ll meet one day at the bottom of a ruck, it’ll be a pleasure.
29 Oct 2012, 13:59 pm
@Heavens Game-254: I think most people did not say the Currie cup means nothing… just that it menas less now with the SR trophy in play…. so for me winning a decent cup is great but a Sr title will still be the ultimate!!
O but the CC is nice…
29 Oct 2012, 13:59 pm
@Jeraldjay-263: I don’t buy that!HG gave him superhero abilities right through the season.Stuff to the effect of human wrecking………..
29 Oct 2012, 14:00 pm
I saw the Trophy parked behind the cabinet door
Lookin’ proud shinin’ and gleamin’
But this really far-out cat was screamin’ half crazy
“Whomp-bobba-looba-ba-lomp-bam-BOOM”
I said “Hey man, cut that jive the Cup’s where it’s meant”
But he looked at me, as spaced as could be
And I said these words while his fury boiled up-pent…
Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boom don’t ya jes’ love it
Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boom don’t you just love it
Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boom don’t ya jes’ love it
Chick-a-boom, chick-a-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!
29 Oct 2012, 14:00 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-267:
yes indeed ruckles.
yes indeed.
29 Oct 2012, 14:00 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-267: Nope.. not at all… The better team on that day one… With probably my favourite player not in Black and White being damager in chief… Yes, the same JdJ who has had to play second fiddle to Donkey De Villiers for so long due to the wisdom of WP, and Bok, management…
you fools bought into this… and my oh my hasn’t JdJ shown you numbskulls up for what you are…
Farken rugbydunces deluxe
29 Oct 2012, 14:00 pm
@Heavens Game-273: One=won… obviously
29 Oct 2012, 14:02 pm
@Heavens Game-254: Exactly right, it was a damn shame, that Deysel, whose been central to the success of the sharks currie cup campaign didn’t start in the final. But even given all of the what ifs. The Stormers were immense, that was an unbelievable performance. They didn’t allow the sharks to play well, Pat Lambie controlled the game well early on, but the stormers knew that they needed to nullify him, Cappie and MOTM had a huge part in making that a reality.
29 Oct 2012, 14:03 pm
@Skeppie-257:
OK thats cool!
29 Oct 2012, 14:03 pm
@wnbb-153: Liverpool is still the most successful team in English football.
29 Oct 2012, 14:05 pm
@Dazzler-268: Let me edit…
You wouldn’t know the meaning of respect, for dumfuck peepee jollahs, if it was tattooed on your hand.
Well, who knows, maybe we could have met one day at the bottom of a ruck. It might have being a pleasure…. all yours of course… Especially in era of HG – days when rucks were rucks and mauls were mauls… And windgat laaities got farken hurt…
29 Oct 2012, 14:06 pm
@ufo-271:
Are you a nic stealer?
If not then welcome back buddy.
29 Oct 2012, 14:06 pm
@wnbb-266: Yeah they played well all season but Province are worthy winners. My second objective out of this game was for Lambie to play well enough again to ensure HM starts him at 10….he probably did enough. I am also glad JDJ played well, I reckon he has gotten the rough end of the stick in terms of bok rugby. As for Etzebeth…that kid is a freak, what an awesome, awesome rugby player!
29 Oct 2012, 14:07 pm
@XhosaKid-277: How so??
29 Oct 2012, 14:07 pm
@XhosaKid-277: If,you add the European/champions league trophies,than yes.I am only talking about league titles here.I remember Pool fans chanting,’come back when you have more than us’…or something to that effect.
29 Oct 2012, 14:08 pm
@Provvas-281: extra two euro titles
29 Oct 2012, 14:09 pm
@Jeraldjay-279:
Thanks Bud…!
As said yesterday… couldn’t stay away after our first championship win since this site was created…
29 Oct 2012, 14:09 pm
Fark. Capo is a Munich ******** supporter.
29 Oct 2012, 14:10 pm
@wnbb-283: ….but with Liverpool unlikely to play in the champions league for the next five to ten years that record will also go.
29 Oct 2012, 14:11 pm
@Heavens Game-273: Your attemps to try and claim only you knew JDJ is brilliant is useless!
JDV and JDJ will wreck havoc TOGETHER next year… save this post…
You had more to say about those sharks centres before the final .. no?
29 Oct 2012, 14:11 pm
@Skeppie-262: You do realise who is being targeted though, and who most of the sh y ye is aimed at…..
29 Oct 2012, 14:14 pm
@wnbb-283: gotcha….
Premier league they are level terms with MU? Hey?
29 Oct 2012, 14:14 pm
@Jeraldjay-285:
he just follows the pack.
29 Oct 2012, 14:15 pm
Bunch of twats farkoff capemofs
29 Oct 2012, 14:15 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-288: Hmmm I think I have an inkling…..It’s all good though, banter makes it interesting.
29 Oct 2012, 14:17 pm
@Provvas-289: United 19 and LIVERPOOL 18.
29 Oct 2012, 14:17 pm
@gunther-290:
I’m sure you intended that pun.
29 Oct 2012, 14:18 pm
@Heavens Game-273: How do you get to Jean Div vs Juan de Jongh? All I have heard in months is how Jordaan is the Bok 13 in waiting….Whitehead and Fransie Steyn are the bizness etc etc etc?
Fokweeven had a few trying to find place for Lambie at 12 (after attempts to place him in the 10 and 15 jersies failed).
So where the fucksticks you get Jean vs Juan from, only the voice telling you this knows.
Juan de Jongh is a WP partyrocker and if you question this, I suggest you go and look at the posts after Meyer announced his 1st squad and left Juan out…..and then again after playing Taute at 13.
29 Oct 2012, 14:18 pm
@Provvas-289: Nope Man U is ahead by 1.
29 Oct 2012, 14:19 pm
@Skeppie-292:
29 Oct 2012, 14:20 pm
@Dazzler-268:
HG went to the Duikers box on Saturday,to go there you needed to play for them.
They were/are pretty much the Natal B-side back in the day when I played clubrugga so chances
are pretty good he was more than a decent clubrugby player.
When we played rucking was still allowed as he said himself.
He had the nuts to kinghit a Quins boy on The Bluff and that takes nuts.
29 Oct 2012, 14:22 pm
@Sasuke-296: thanks for the info..
Started supporting Liverpool a few years ago… Not knowing alot about soccer but will not support MU as they are the ferrari of F1.. .everyone just jump on the bandwagon..
29 Oct 2012, 14:22 pm
@mopingshark-291: Moffs or not. At least we don’t choke when we swallow.
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