CAPE TOWN – Western Province assistant coach Dawie Snyman says it doesn’t matter where Damian Willemse plays when they face the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday.
The return of some of their Springbok players will give head coach John Dobson a selection headache or two, as the Boks who aren’t contracted will be available for the Pretoria fixture.
That means that the likes of tighthead prop Wilco Louw, hooker Bongi Mbonambi, loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Willemse could all be injected into WP’s weekend line-up.
Snyman said that whether Willemse plays at 10 or 15 doesn’t really matter.
“The Springboks have had a look at him as a fullback. He played fullback for us against Griquas and in last year’s final. But his best games in Super Rugby came at flyhalf. So, we will have to see how the week goes.”
“Damian is a special player. What is nice about someone who can play those 10 and 15 is that he can play as a first receiver and in the wider channels as well.
“So, we can use him in different ways.”
While Snyman believes the return of their Boks won’t be a disruption, he also said that it’s going to be important that WP hold on to the momentum and continuity they’ve built up.
“There are guys who have been performing well, so we’ll have to look at that when we select the team.
“A lot of them have been a part of our squad. Wilco played for us against the Pumas and Griquas, Damian played against Griquas, and Notshe played a few games.
“They are guys who are used to what we do and how we play. It is not as if they are coming in from outside and they don’t know what we’re doing.”
Shifting his focus to the Bulls, Snyman said that he’s expecting a tough one and believes the Pretoria side have a point to prove.
“They have had three weeks off and will be ready for this game,” he said.
“They have been quite quiet, but still had a very good Currie Cup, so people have not been paying attention to them.