No complacency from Dobson's Province
CURRIE CUP REACTION: Western Province head coach John Dobson said his team will not be complacent as they head into this year’s Currie Cup play-offs.
Province finished top of the log after beating the Blue Bulls 34-7 in a match that was abandoned at half-time when weather conditions – lightning and torrential rain – made it unsafe to continue at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
This win, on the back of four tries in the opening 40 minutes, resulted in an undefeated run in regulation play for the defending champions.
“We are absolutely thrilled because with those conditions we knew we had to get four tries and to do it before half-time was exceptional,” Dobson told reporters after the match.
“When the message came that we might only get a half in, you can ask the players to play with massive intensity and do damage and I think they responded incredibly.
“I thought it was a really exceptional performance from us.”
Despite their dominance in Pretoria, Dobson made it clear that they will not be underestimating the Bulls next week when they meet in a semifinal at Newlands.
“What we wanted to do was to come here and make it seem very daunting for the Bulls to come to us next week.
“[WP captain] Chris van Zyl’s talk this week was to make a statement so that they will have a lot of doubt coming down [to Cape Town].
“Maybe some of our play today [Saturday] could have created that. This a special group and they are definitely not going to be complacent, but they are completely well aware that the conditions favoured us today.
“We had total territory which was probably largely off Blue Bulls mistakes, so it is not going to be as easy as that next week,” Dobson added.
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