Captain's Profile: Daniel Van Zyl
The Diamantveld captain might be slightly inexperienced at first XV level, but what he loses in that department he makes up in dogged determination.
The hooker who is playing his first season for the 1st XV is a lively hooker and being selected for the Griquas U18 Academy Week side last season shows the resoluteness of the front-rower.
Van Zyl is a player that leads from the front and is happy that his side has been able to get on a bit of a roll with two wins from their last two games.
"We didn't start the season well but with two wins in a row we are starting to become more confident.
"Before our last two games we were not playing the rugby that we wanted to play," Van Zyl added.
As a former second XV captain, Van Zyl spent time on the bench for the first side which means that the game is not foreign but the leadership might be but he does not let that hamper his game.
"I feel I try to play a game similar to that of Schalk Brits.
"I can adapt to the situation, if I need to play tight I can but I play better with a loose game," he explained.
He finds himself leading a fairly small pack of forwards but this does not worry him.
"We have a mobile pack of forwards that want to provide good ball for strong backline.
"That is where our strength lies – amongst our fast backline," Van Zyl said.
Heading into a massive game like this Van Zyl seemed very calm and he mentioned that the vibe around the school is excited.
"There is a good vibe around the school and we are really looking forward to this weekend," he concluded.
