Elephants aiming to trample Province

Expect the Elephants to throw the kitchen sink at Western Province every time they get near their opponents’ tryline, Eastern Province coach Ryan Felix has warned. With the elephant logo emblazoned on their chests after a long absence, EP will be breathing fire at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele tomorrow.

Felix said his team would play like a band of brothers in their opening game of the Supersport Series Challenge.

More than 10 000 fans are expected at the triple header, which will also feature a clash between the Border Bulldogs and the Boland Cavaliers and a Gold Cup qualifier between Progress and Gardens.

While EP will start their campaign without a warm-up game, Western Province arrived in Port Elizabeth after an intensive training camp in Hermanus.

“We have got a plan for Western Province,” Felix said.

“For all the years, ever since I was a player, I wanted to attack from all over the field. But nowadays, with the defensive systems and things in place, you cannot just run with everything.

“We have a plan for Sunday, but the plan is also a bit of negativity. Kick when you need to kick and run when you need to run.

“But when we are in the goal zone we will throw the kitchen sink at them. That is the plan going forward.

“I have guys in the back that can run with the ball. This week I have been very impressed with the kicking abilities of our flyhalf, Henrique Olivier.

“In our red zone Henrique will do the kicking. We will use him on the left and Keanu Vers on the right-hand side. So we have a left-footer and a right-footer.
“This will be a first EP game for some of the players and they are excited.

“There is a brotherhood in the team and my thing is about family. They will play like a band of brothers out there.

“This is our first game together as a group and they will give of their best for their jersey,” Felix said.

EP’s coach said he was happy with the way the players had trained during the week.

“We have been training with this squad all week. In the backline there are some players who played for me last year, so there will be some continuity in that regard.

“In training you could see these boys know one another and they played together for me in EP U19 and U21 so they know the system. Last year we were dominated in the scrums, but now we have a solid pack of forwards.”

WP coach John Dobson said that after a lengthy pre-season his players were keen to get their campaign up and running.

In their last match WP claimed a dramatic 37-35 win against Boland in a friendly match in Wellington, with two late tries seeing them snatch victory in the dying stages.

WP will be looking to repeat their heroics from last year, which saw them go through the inaugural competition unbeaten to claim victory.

Tomorrow’s teams: EP Elephants: (Nos 1 to 22): Xander Vos, Allandre van Rooyen, Entienne Swanepoel, Giant Mtyanda, Dries van Schalkwyk (captain), Eitel Bredenkamp, Jurie van Vuuren, Freddie Ngoza Freddie Muller, Henrique Olivier, Siphu Msutwana , Andile Jho, Siyanda Grey, Riaan Arendse , Keanu Vers. Replacements: Mbeko Kota, Johan van Wyk, Wynand Grassmann, Siya Mdaka, Juan-Phillip Smith , Reuben de Vos , Nkululeko Marwana. Western Province: (Nos 15 to 22): Tristan Leyds, Grant Hermanus, Michal Hazner, Joshua Stander, Duncan Saal, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Herschel Jantjies, Luke Stringer (captain), Johan du Toit, Jaco Coetzee, Gary Porter, Ernst van Rhyn, Frans Malherbe, Dean Muir, Ali Vermaak. Replacements: Chad Solomon, Kwenzo Blose, Neethling Fouche, Steph de Wit, Nama Xaba, Labib Kannemeyer, Dan Kriel. Referee: Rasta Rashivenge. The match will be shown live on SS8 at 3pm.