Cape Town – Western Province coach Allister Coetzee on Monday confirmed that Ross Skeate will again be the captain when they tackle the Blue Bulls at Newlands in their second Currie Cup match of the season.
According to the WP website, Coetzee last week said Skeate was only appointed for the game against the Sharks last Friday in Durban. He explained that some of the senior Province players could be released from national duty before the Springboks depart for Australia and New Zealand on Thursday.
On Monday, however, Coetzee said Skeate would again hold the reins on Saturday. He said Skeate did a good job against the Sharks.
“He is an experienced player and led the guys well. But I think other leaders such as Adriaan Fondse, AJ Venter and Willem de Waal added value to Ross.”
Flyhalf Isma-eel Dollie and centre Morgan Newman were back on the training field in Durbanville on Monday after returning from Romania, where they represented the triumphant SA Emerging team in the Nations Cup tournament.
Another “stranger” on the field was flyhalf Naas Olivier, who had been on loan to French club Auch for the past four months. Olivier is under contract with WP until November.
Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga also trained with his provincial teammates. Coetzee could expect another Springbok or two to join his squad after the national squad for the Tri-Nations is announced on Tuesday.

WP are gonna name a strong side…
Where is the Fijian???
In Fiji
Pacific nations cup?
The Pacific Nations cup only ends 6th of July or so. He should be back then.
Well, at least we have the physical specimen in Gio Aplon to cover for him… 💡
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 5) :
Then he better score for my FL team. 😛
@wpw (Comment 6) :
physical speciman of?
Chihuahua?
AJ was quiete involved in the talking side of things.
Why did I get the impression that Skeate was not really enjoing being captain.
Gio Goliat Aplon.
BTW What type of reception did AJ get from the crowd?
@Salmonoid (Comment 9) :
Because AJ was talking more than him? 😆
@ra-cheltjie de’ be-er (Comment 10) : 😆
@Salmonoid (Comment 11) :
There was an attempted boo here and there….but my wife stopped me because she is a WP supporter and we were in the company she works for’s box and the people were looking at me funny…. 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 12) :
You can’t keep a good man down. 😀 I see he (AJ) was also the Supersport stadium studio guest.
@Dive Pass (Comment 14) :
DP, were you the couple they showed from time to time. He clearly a Shark and she WP – even more clearly she baiting him and him being seriously peed off. Very funny stuff. Pity they didnt show them as the final kick sailed over the crossbar.
Nah they were in the stands, not in a box like you.