DHL Western Province U19 for Final against the Blue Bulls
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Western Province U19. Photo by Morgan Piek /Rugby15.
Nazeem Adams, the DHL Western Province Under-19 coach, has announced his team to take on the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Saturday’s Absa Under-19 Final in Durban (kick-off 12h00).
Adams has not tampered at all with the combination that did duty against the Golden Lions Under-19s last weekend, the log-topping DHL WP Juniors having qualified for the final with a 24-14 semifinal win in Stellenbosch.
“We have a few minor niggles,” said Adams, “but the guys will play through it, that’s for sure!
“This season has gone well for us and I’m happy with the depth we have created and our level of play up till now. However, the players know that they have not won anything yet and there is a great determination to end the season with a trophy.”
The WP Juniors have beaten the Bulls twice this season, 20-16 at home and 38-35 in Pretoria, but Adams warned ahead of the weekend: “This is a big game, being a final, but even more so as the Bulls will be looking to extract revenge on us.
“What has happened before doesn’t matter… it’s in the past and the players know that. The Bulls will back themselves in this one-off match; they will use their forwards and be as physical as possible… We need to be up for it – if we don’t stand up and be counted we won’t make it.
“At the same time, we’re aware of the pressures involved with playing in a final but it won’t stop us from playing (our game). We know our game well; we know there’s a fine balance between attack and defence. It’s something we’ve got right all season (up till now) and we’ll take that approach and execution into the final too.”
Whilst the WP U19 coach has named an unchanged line-up from last Saturday, he is missing a few players to injury (like centre John-Ben Kotze, for instance) and three to the Under-21 side (lock Jean Kleyn, flyhalf Tim Swiel and fullback Cheslin Kolbe).
But, those few selection disruptions aside, Adams has been able to rely on captain and hooker Freddie Kirsten throughout the 2012 season and the coach spoke glowingly of the man who will lead the U19s into battle in Durban.
Adams concluded: “The key thing about Freddie is that he’s always calm. The whole team looks up to him and, aside from his consistent level of play this season, he has meant a lot to this team purely as a leader.”
The DHL Western Province Under-19 team to take on the Blue Bulls in the Absa Under-19 Final is as follows:
15. Janco Gunter
14. Werner Kok
13. Justin Geduld
12. Kyle Lombard
11. JP Lewis (vice-captain)
10. Tommy Allan
9. Jean Nel
8. Justin Benn
7. Jurie van Vuuren
6. Eital Bredenkamp
5. Andrew Becker
4. Tiaan Benade
3. Nicol Heyns
2. Freddie Kirsten (captain)
1. Sti Sithole
RESERVES:
16. Brianton Booysen
17. Niel Oelofse
18. Deacon Chowles
19. Sebastian Ferreira
20. Nicholai Lubbe
21. Bjorn Bernardo
22. Niel Bester
23. Selom Gavor
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
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