Who will fill the WP jet-shoes?
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Western Province suffered a major blow with Seabelo Senatla out for two weeks which has led many to ask, who will fill those jet-shoes?
Senatla will be out for a minimum of two weeks with an ankle strain. He has been sent for a scan, after waiting for the swelling to subside, to ensure that there is no further damage to his ankle.
Of the options available to head coach Allister Coetzee, there are a number of out-and-out wings, versatile backline players and even some Under-21s to choose from.
Devon Williams is an option, having already gained Super Rugby experience – and many see him as a like-for-like change for the injured Senatla.
However, Coetzee warned that it is not about just matching the attacking ability of players when making a change, but looking at the entire picture.
"What we are looking at is to see what their [the Eastern Province Kings] kicking game is like, how they attack in the wide channels – we look at a lot of things," Coetzee said ahead of their match up with the Kings on Friday.
"Will we be defensively up for it? – how close is the next guy to Seabelo [Senatla] in order to fit into the team seamlessly?
"It is not just about matching the attacking flair. We need to look at it in terms of getting a balance."
Another option is Pat Howard, who is regarded more of a centre, but did score a try on the wing for Province in Round One.
It seems that Coetzee would not be against playing a backline player on the wing if necessary.
Kobus [van Wyk] is a centre, but he is currently regarded as a wing in our set-up," Coetzee said in regards to shifting his team around.
Additionally, Coetzee made mention of Under-21s Justin Geduld and EW Viljoen who have been training with the senior team as possible replacements.
With the injuries and the wealth of talented, versatile backs, Coetzee can see the value in using this time as a chance to rotate his players – to rest a few and to give some others more game time.
"There may be a chance to rotate players with the injury but you want to keep your team motivated, and keep their enthusiasm up," Coetzee added.
"You have players that are really working hard when they come off the bench and they are performing – so you would like to reward that.
"It is important to make sure you get the balance right and there is no room to underestimate the Kings by making wholesale changes.
"If you sit with five or six changes in the team it is not an ideal situation, you look at a minimum of three.
Western Province take on the EP Kings at Newlands on Friday in a repeat of their Round One game where the men from the Cape, who travelled to Port Elizabeth, came out 35-16 victors.
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