As Western Province gears up for a potentially thorny Currie Cup journey to Kimberley to lock horns with the tenacious Griquas, they find themselves in a bit of a pickle. In what can only be described as a flyhalf fiasco, the squad is on tenterhooks regarding the health of their top two flyhalves.
Kyle Smith, who has been at the helm for the initial games, is now a major doubt after a shoulder snag during their 40-19 tumble against the Lions. On the other side, Jurie Mathee, the veteran flyhalf option, is still on the comeback trail from a concussion and his participation hangs by a thread.
"We'll find out today the severity of [Smith's] shoulder injury,"
remarked WP assistant coach Brok Harris, clearly hopeful for a swift recovery. He added,"Jurie still needs to pass a fitness test and hopefully he comes through."
With the clock ticking down, it seems Tristan Leyds might just snag the No 10 jersey as he steps up from an impressive stint off the bench in the previous matches. Meanwhile, Western Province could see a silver lining with new blood ready to step in. Fresh from the Junior Springboks, Gino Cupido and a cohort of under-20 dynamos are poised to add their zest to the mix.
"I think some of them will be considered this week," Harris noted, optimistically. "They’ve had some time to rest and just mentally switch off a bit. I think they’re ready to go."
Despite a recent defeat, Harris found solace in his team’s robust forward play, particularly praising their set-pieces and mauls which chalked up a couple of tries courtesy of Louw Nel. But he’s under no illusions about the challenge ahead, asserting, "Griquas pride themselves on a good set-piece and they were strong in that department against Boland last week. So we need to show physicality and have a good set-piece as well, because that’s where they are strong."
The stage is set for an intriguing showdown in Kimberley this Friday, with WP hoping their makeshift arrangements hold the fort against a Griquas side that’s nothing short of formidable on their day. It’s game on, and the pressure's palpable!