REACTION: Western Province assistant coach Dawie Snyman acknowledged that his team must produce 80-minute performances in their remaining Currie Cup matches if they want to qualify for the play-offs.
The Capetonians were 13-0 in front against the Cheetahs in their Round Six encounter before losing 19-26 at a wet and windy Cape Town Stadium.
A couple of weeks ago, Western Province had a commanding 27-10 lead against the Bulls in Pretoria before going down 34-50.
It’s a trend Province will want to stop at the business end of the tournament.
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“In that game against the Bulls, we started really well before we lost momentum and they sort of kicked on from there and the same thing happened tonight [Saturday],” said Snyman.
“It’s probably down to experience.
“Some of the players are not used to being in that scenario and they are obviously playing against good teams.
“They [Cheetahs] knew their entry point was the scrum and playing through the middle and that is where they got momentum back in the game.”
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On what is needed to make the play-offs, Snyman added: “We need to put in that 80-minute performance. I think we have the right plans and ideas on how we can put teams under pressure.
“You could see it in the first half. It’s just about putting that second half together and making sure that we can get over the line.”
Meanwhile, Snyman also opened up on a few injury concerns after that match.
“Willie [Engelbrecht] had a back spasm so that’s why it looked like he was struggling a bit,” Snyman told @rugby365com.
“Justin Geduld got a shot to his cheekbone, so he will go for scans.”
Province called on veteran scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage to fill the No.9 jersey after injuries to Imaad Khan and Asad Moos
Duvenage was training in Cape Town ahead of the 2024/2025 URC season.
By Angus Opperman and Warren Fortune
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