Scrums could be potential flash point
WP coach John Dobson highlighted the differences and expressed his confusion at the glaring differences between the way the sides are treated in that aspect of the game – a potential flash point in the Currie Cup final.
"The thing that frustrates me the most about that game is the scrumming and interpretations of it. You can get beaten in the line-out, beaten at the breakdown, monstered in the maul but if you get beaten in the scrum, you get penalised and carded.
"The Lions have got a massive rub of the green when it comes to scrum penalties – you can read into that what you will. We will scrum well and it's going to be a key flash point in this game.
"I don't want to say we were unfairly penalised. At scrum time, I think they have something like 59 penalties for them and conceded just 17 – which is a differential of 42. Our scrum penalties are 27 for us and 21 against – a differential of 6. We don't teach our guys to scrum in or drop scrums – nothing like that – but if you are dominant scrum then you want to scrum. So that is something that is a source of concern for me," Dobson said.
Province can take some heart from the Free State Cheetahs' performance against the Lions in the second semi-final and feels that the way the Cheetahs approached the game was a similar approach they had taken at the beginning of October – despite being on the wrong end of a 30-point hammering.
"It's something very similar to what we saw when we played at Ellis Park [the way the Cheetahs played], we just didn't hold onto the ball but there is space in their defensive system. They haven't been put under a lot of pressure defensively and we feel that if we run directly in their side of the field and get through the phases, the space will open up.
"I am prepared to describe this group as almost desperate to win, they definitely have the desire. It was a horror show the last time we played at Ellis Park and I can't see that happening again. I think we can win it and the Cheetahs have given us some clue on how to do it," he added.
WP captain, Juan de Jongh, will be looking to past achievements to help inspire his side to retain their title.
"There are a few guys who haven't played in a final before but then there are some of us who have been in situations like this in the past. We can draw inspiration from those experiences and share it with every player in the group. For us, we know what we need to do to beat the Lions at Ellis Park.
"The focus [for the final] began five minutes after our post-match chat and the entire season will be judged after this game. We certainly want to go all out," de Jongh said.
Hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni and loose forward Chris Cloete will play no part in the October 24 final as they have yet to recover from their respective calf muscle injuries.
Johnny Kotze (knock to the knee) and de Jongh (intercostal muscle) were the only players to have emerged from the semi-final with minor knocks but the centres "should be fine" to play in the final.
