Western Province coach John Dobson admits that successfully defending their Currie Cup crown this year will be difficult.
And that’s because of the tournament’s new format, which will see the teams playing each other once only before the play-offs start.
On top of that, Province also have to play their away games – against the Golden Lions, Blue Bulls and the Pumas – at high altitude.
Of the upcoming season, which starts on August 25, Dobson says: “We know that it will be extremely tough.
“But we have got some serious quality here [in the squad] and the trick will be ensuring that they are ready to go for our first game against Free State Cheetahs at Newlands in a month’s time.”
Dobson and his team has been preparing for the new season at a training camp in Hermanus.
He adds: “It has been great to get the wider squad together, even though some may be missing at this stage, and we feel that we have laid a good platform in Hermanus.”
Of the new format, the WP coach says: “The single round format poses a few challenges this season, so it is vital that we ensure that everyone is on board with what we are trying to achieve in this campaign.
“On top of that it is a pretty tough draw for us with all three of our away games at altitude, so that is a challenge that we must meet head-on and with a positive mindset.”
WP WIDER TRAINING SQUAD:
Juarno Augustus, Craig Barry, Kwenzo Blose, Jaco Coetzee, Paul de Wet, Steph de Wit, Johan du Toit, Dan du Plessis, JJ Engelbrecht, Neethling Fouche, Grant Hermanus, Herschel Jantjies, Eddie Keyter, Dan Kriel, Michael Kumbirai, Dillyn Leyds, SP Marais, Salmaan Moerat, Dean Muir, Ruhan Nel, Scarra Ntubeni, Caylib Oosthuizen, Sergeal Petersen, Justin Phillips, Marno Redelinghuys, Duncan Saal, Carlu Sadie, Ramone Samuels, JD Schickerling, Chad Solomon, Josh Stander, Luke Stringer, Tiaan Swanepoel, Kobus van Dyk, Edwill van der Merwe, Abner van Reenen, Ernst van Rhyn, Chris van Zyl, Ali Vermaak, Jano Vermaak, EW Viljoen, Cobus Wiese.