Dobson delighted to break WP duck
07/22/2024 03:43 AM
John Dobson was thrilled with the emphatic Currie Cup win by DHL Western Province in Welkom, and has encouraged the team to build on their performance this week.
A youthful WP side scored 10 tries on their way to a convincing 64-15 victory against the Griffons in Welkom on Sunday to put themselves in fifth position on the standings.
The Capetonians raced into a 33-10 half-time lead before capping off an emphatic result at North West Stadium following two defeats in rugby's oldest competition this season.
“It was important for us to get a win, the mood in the changeroom hasn't felt too great the last couple of weeks,” Dobson told wprugby.com. “Saying that, there were some good moments in both our previous games with largely an experimental team.
“Credit to the Griffons, it was certainly a difficult venue to play this weekend. But what was important for us was exposing a whole different group of players to the pressures of the Currie Cup while getting the W.”
Inside centre Jonathan Roche scored a hat-trick of tries on debut, yet it was an impressive outing for the entire matchday 23, including veteran fullback Clayton Blommetjies on his much-anticipated return.
RECAP: Ten-try WP snap drought in style
“As a coaching staff we're very thrilled for a young guy like Johnny Roche, I thought he was exceptional,” Dobson said. “Hendre Stassen, who after a lengthy break from rugby, put in a good shift and has made massive progress over the last three weeks.
“Imad Khan also looked sharper, and Blomme [Blommetjies] – he's been sidelined for almost nine months so would've been a bit rusty, so that's why his outing was so successful. And also no serious injuries, just a few bumps and bruises.”
WP will refocus for a rematch with the unbeaten Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, and turning his attention to the challenge Phiwe Nomlomo's charges will present at Loftus Versfeld, Dobson expects another tough challenge for the men from the Cape.
“The Bulls are probably running a very powerful, separate Currie Cup campaign, and they beat us at home,” the director of rugby said. “The WP team is also going up to Loftus without the experience of Jean-Luc du Plessis and Lizo Gqoboka, who were involved in that game at Cape Town Stadium but are injured, and also the likes of Connor Evans and Adre Smith.
“It's going to be tough but the win over the Griffons has helped us. I want to see this Province group grow even more and keep getting better, before some players shift their focus towards the Vodacom URC.
“The youngsters who stay on board will be key to us progressing in the Currie Cup campaign, and the game against the Bulls is crucial for them to get more exposure and play well. The Bulls are one of the competition's most formidable teams, so it will be a good test to see where these youngsters are. We're certainly going up to Pretoria to compete and put up another good performance.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
The post Dobson delighted to break WP duck appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
