Maties coach expecting ‘massive’ Hammies onslaught
Stellenbosch coach Chean Roux says he will need to prepare his all-conquering students for a “massive game” against defending champions Hamilton when the two Western Province heavyweight clubs clash in the semifinals of the 36th SAA National Club Champs at the Danie Craven Stadium on Wednesday.
Roux, who has coached the Maties to a hat-trick of Varsity Cup titles, said Hammies had impressed him in the tournament thus far and would not give up their title without a fight.
“I liked the fact that we got a good workout against Springs. Two years ago we won our first two games with big scores and we didn’t know our weak points. Then we played Pukke and were 30 points down at halftime,” said Roux. “Their previous game was a tight one against UJ and so they were used to that pressure.
“This time around we’ve had the tight game but it’s not as if I’m going to have a good night’s sleep. We’ve still got one or two things to work on and we must get it right because Hammies are looking seriously good.”
Maties – whose last club title came in 2007 – and Hammies have met twice this season in the WP Super League, with both sides winning their respective home fixture. But Roux said his team, who are aiming to win an unprecedented 13th national crown, would have to tighten up their approach if they wanted to challenge the champions.
“We’ve made some mistakes so far and I’d put them down to youthful enthusiasm,” he said. “We’ve perhaps tried too many offloads instead of being a little bit more conservative and then playing the game from there.”
Should Maties beat Hammies and go on to win the title, the students will complete a rare league, Varsity Cup and Club Champs triple. But Roux downplayed such an achievement. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to win every game and we want to win everything, but we’re amateurs,” he said. “If we don’t win, the sun is still going to shine tomorrow and my family are still going to love me when I wake up. It’s not the be-all and end-all but obviously we want to win.”
In Wednesday’s other semifinal, 2009 finalists Pukke will face College Rovers of KZN. The Potch students – champions in 2004, 2006 and 2008 – will be hoping that their habit of claiming the title every second season continues. Past history is never the most accurate measure of future performances, but it is nevertheless interesting to note that Pukke beat the self-same Rovers in the 2006 and 2008 deciders – both of which were also played at the Danie Craven Stadium.
Fixtures for Wednesday 22 September:
Plate semifinals (B field):
11h45 – SAPS East London vs Mossel Bay Barbarians
13h30 – Shimlas vs Tuks
Cup semifinals (Danie Craven Stadium):
15h15 – Pukke vs College Rovers
17h00 – Hamilton vs Maties
Quarterfinal results:
Plate:
Noordelike 27 SAPS East London 31
Mossel Bay Barbarians 32 Kimberley Police 31
Middelburg 10 Shimlas 41
Bethlehem Oud-Skoliere 19 Tuks 52
Cup:
Maties 49 Springs 27
Hamilton 76 Progress 14
Pukke 90 Roses United 14
College Rovers 26 UJ 20
Issued by SARU Communications
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