With the British and Irish Lions tour going on the Carling Currie Cup and local South African teams have fallen very much to the background but this is a vital time to improve squad fitness and depth. I will take a look and see how each franchise is looking.
Sigma Lions
The Sigma Lions are the weakest of the SA franchises currently with a squad filled with talented youth but few experienced campaigners who can go the distance. With all due respect to Jannie du Plessis and Willem Alberts they are not the fit young men they used to be and won’t be able to handle the heavy travel and workload required in the URC. Jaco Kriel looked like an inspired signing being able to rally the youth and provide experience of playing the in the Northern Hemisphere but sadly he has been sidelined with injuries since his return. The Sigma Lions youth brigade have shown flashes of ability especially in the engine room but I expect the learning curve against gnarly packs will be too steep. Jordan Hendrikse looks like the real deal at fly half but he will need to grasp the concept of game management faster than would normally be required of a young man. Vincent Tshituka has the physical attributes and skills to excel in wet conditions but it is all about whether his tight five can keep their heads above water to allow him to play his style of rugby. They will be lucky to win some home games similar to what the Kings did when they joined the Pro Rugby tournament.
Western Province
Western Province at one stage looked it was going to cease to exist after all of the nasty boardrooms antics were being played out in the media but it looks to have settled down now. They managed to hold onto the key signings of Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Damian Willemse and the dynamic Evan Roos. They play a defensive minded game naturally and have a heavier pack than most which will suit the wet, heavy conditions they will encounter up North. The pack looks solid with some smattering of young talent in between the veterans that gives them a fighting chance against the more fancied opposition. Western Province have lacked a savvy fly half for years and this will cost them the most going into the URC this year. Tim Swiel is an able stopgap but won’t be able to control the game or release some of the outside backs like he needs to. The Western Province recruitment of backline players is confusing as they don’t seem to have an identity with ball in hand and this is largely due to not having specialists. Damian Willemse has been moved around like a pinball machine and it is hard to know where John Dobson sees his best position. They lack penetration at centre but then they play hard running Rikus Pretorius as a linking outside centre and the constant inclusion of Dan du Plessis feels like doing a friend a favour because he looks lost on the field. They recruit speedsters like Seabelo Senatla and Rosco Specman (now gone) on the wing and then don’t try create space for them instead using them as kick chasers. They will need some backline direction if they are to make an impression on the URC teams.
Bulls
Jake White has been very active on the recruitment side since his arrival and he has been able to snag some big names like Johan Goosen, Marcel Coetzee, Jacques du Plessis, Nizaam Carr and Arno Botha to name a few. He has seen the need to having hardened forwards to handle the attritional nature of player in heavier conditions as well as a gifted fly half to control the game in Goosen. His squad is very deep with some really talented youngsters thriving in his system which bodes well for the upcoming matches. One area that is looking light on experience is the front row with some talented youngsters like Mornay Smith and Jan Hendrik Wessels putting up their hands but lacks rock solid props to anchor the scrum. Lizo Gqoboka and Trevor Nyakane are the players expected to fulfill the roles but they have been inconsistent which is a worry. Jake White is a very smart, experienced coach and I expect his nous to help the Bulls cause some upsets away from home and be very tough to beat at fort Loftus.
Sharks
The Sharks are now all moneyed up after getting Western Province rejects MVM on board and they look primed to make a splash in the URC. The squad is very much in motion with street smart Eduard Coetzee filling the gaps in the squad with smart signings to bolster them ahead of the long campaign ahead. They know they are short on tight five depth and if they have a few key injuries or players away on international duty they will be exposed. Signing someone Gerbrant Grobler shows they realize the gaps and actively trying to fill them with players who can make a difference. Gerbrant has Northern Hemisphere experience in abundance and will be able to help the youngsters around him. Lourens Adriaanse is also an underrated Springbok tight head but he is a smart scrummager who will add some punch when needed. The youth brigade of Dylan Richardson, Phepsi Buthelezi, Celimpilo Gumede, Dan Jooste, Jordan Hendrikse, Sanele Nohamba and Aphelele Fassi are brimming with energy and they just need to be unleashed. The Sharks have missed Andre Esterhuizen more than people initially thought as he was a vital cog in getting over the advantage line and drawing in defenders to give the wingers space. Australian Ben Tapuai is a brilliant acquisition to fill a similar role to Andre and he comes with oodles of experience playing overseas. The largest gap with be the back three when the Boks require Mapimpi, Nkosi and Fassi but I expect the Sharks to be smart and wait for the right player on the transfer market to give them the tactical knowledge they need. The signing of Eduan Keyter is a great start as he is natural finisher but will need some experience around him to help his game management.
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