Former Sharks captain and battle-hardened utility forward AJ Venter looks a good bet to lead Western Province when they kick-off their Currie Cup campaign against the Sharks, in Durban, on Friday.
Rugby 365 reports that Venter caused a stir when he moved to Cape Town, from Durban, after the Super 14 tournament – a transfer that came as the result of a contractual dispute.
In the absence of natural choices like Jean de Villiers, Luke Watson and Schalk Burger, all off whom are away on duty with the Springboks, the WP captaincy burden may fall squarely on the broad shoulders of Venter – who was a regular stand-in captain at the Sharks in both the Super 14 and Currie Cup competitions.
WP will reveal the name of the captain for their opening match on Wednesday.
After his excellent leadership display with the Stormers, De Villiers had the strongest claims to the WP captaincy, but the Springboks are only likely to see Currie Cup action at the start of September.
As a result, the WP management may decide to appoint an interim captain, and Venter looks tailor-made for the job.
His in-your-face style will be useful in a side which will struggle to win matches while their Boks – all 11 of them, are away.
WP’s Springbok squad members include Conrad Jantjes, Jean de Villiers, Tonderai Chavhanga, Gcobani Bobo, Peter Grant, Bolla Conradie, Schalk Brits, Brian Mujati, Andries Bekker, Luke Watson and Schalk Burger.
Venter said this week that he was looking forward to making his WP debut, even if it was at his old stomping ground, at the ‘Shark Tank’ in Durban.
New WP coach Allister Coetzee has not yet decided where he’ll employ Venter, but the veteran Springbok forward – who has retired from international duty – is likely to plug the loose forward gaps left by Burger, Watson and Robbie Diack – the latter now playing in Wales.
Venter is equally at home at lock, flank and No.8, although by his own admission he’s not “the fastest around the park” these days.
Then, of course, WP’s other off-season buy, flyhalf Willem de Waal, will also be key to the team’s Currie Cup fortunes this season. He is a prolific points scorer with the boot, and his feats at the Free State Cheetahs have been well documented.
In the absence of their stars, WP still have the services of several Super 14 stars like Ross Skeate, Adriaan Fondse, Brok Harris, Deon Fourie, Dylan des Fountain, Francois Louw and Wylie Human to call on.
The Sharks too will be playing without a host of Springboks. Their Springbok squad complement include Frans Steyn, Adrian Jacobs, Bismarck du Plessis, Ryan Kankowski, Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, BJ Botha, Odwa Ndungane and Ruan Pienaar.
However, they will be relying on their Super 14 stalwarts like Stefan Terblanche, Waylon Murray, JP Pietersen (just released from the Bok squad), Rory Kockott, Keegan Daniel, Albert van den Berg and Jannie du Plessis to keep their Currie Cup hopes alive.
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What is it with these guys? Can’t they find their own captains?
First Dick Muir way back when and now AJ? 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : 😆
Just reminds us even more why we hate Wee Pee so much!! 😆
Oh this is going to be a cracker on Friday.
Super pissed that I won’t be watching the game on TV and even MORE pissed that our vacation had to be delayed scuppering our chances of watching the game Live in Durban 👿
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) :
Actually I suppose, we can Add #46 to that list as well. 🙄
Although I think we may have paid THEM to take him 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) :
When are you savages back in RSA… I’ll be back in 10days for 4 weeks… hope there is a decent game?
Hey bryce
We are in SA from 26 June to 24 July.
will drop you a mail.
Cool… we’re there from the 27th and back in Perth for the test…
Unfortunately we are not really spoilt for choice on the available matches while at home
Fri 27 June Sharks vs Boland Durban 19:10
Fri 11 July Sharks vs Valke Durban 19:00
@KSA Shark © (Comment 9) :
Lol… last time I was back it was the same… oh to be at Absa even at 1/4 full…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 9) : Excitng matches…KSA…stress free…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 9) : Valke will be good. Wouter Moore back in the tank 🙂
one can assume charlie will be a stormers supporter now 👿
moore is back with the sharks??
oh good moaning everyone
ok i got it he will be playing for valke in the tank lol 😯
@sharks_lover (Comment 16) : yeah… Bulls rate him so highly they’ve loaned him to the Valke for the Currie Cup
amazing at the amount of players leaving or wanting to leave the sharks
@sharks_lover (Comment 18) : Moore left 2 years ago, though
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) :
Well at least its one way to get pissed in your kingdom – withhold your holiday and sport.
Let’s hope AJ loses his cool with the ref as only he can, completely alienates the ref … all of which results in tons of penalties and free kicks in the Sharks favour.
Always thought it was rich AJ trying to discipline Kockott for chirping the ref when he was the worstculprit of the crime.
@sharks_lover (Comment 18) :
Seriously, Ive read that AD would consider going to WP, but who are the rest?
@Salmonoid (Comment 22) : Salmo… you gonna send in a FL team? 😉
@robdylan (Comment 23) :
Yep, I intend to.
@Salmonoid (Comment 24) : frabjous!
It wasn’t that long ago that we had enough depth at the Sharks to field almost 2 different starting XV’s and fairly successfully…remember Dick’s famous rotation system? What happened to that depth? I fear if we had to field a second XV against the Valke or Griquas now we’d probably catch a klap!! 🙄
@Villie (Comment 26) : how’s this for a 2nd-choice 15:
Carstens, Burden, Cilliers, Blignaut, vd Berg, Daniel, Downey, Rhodes, Macleod, Borgen, Mentz, Strauss, Jacobs, Mvovo, Dames?
Ok, see what you mean 😉
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
Rob,
I think the Vodacom cup proved our depth way below teams like Blue Bulls, Cheetahs and even those Goats from the Mountain!
@Villie (Comment 28) : yeah, but we still have some good players. If they hadn’t changed 60% of the team every week, I reckon we’d have done better
Ross Skeate – according to Keo.
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 30) : I see that. Will wait for the official team announcement
@robdylan (Comment 31) :
😯 Shock… Horror…. you don’t trust that heartland of journalistic integrity?
@Dive Pass (Comment 32) : call me crazy 😉