What we are witnessing currently at Newlands is phenomenal.
Coach John Dobson’s men are defending that piece of turf with all they have and I’m sure it makes all that have worn the hooped jersey in the past incredibly proud.
As a big Western Province fan for many a year, this season is a bit of an emotional one to me with it being the final one at Newlands.
And when the team gives it their all like they have in the first two weeks of the tournament, I can feel the emotions welling up.
I can’t recall another team that has gone 160 minutes into a new season without conceding a point.
Well done.
But with the good comes the bad.
And this time the bad comes in the form of the team’s goal kicking.
With no SP Marais to call on this year, the onus has fallen on Damian Willemse to line up for goal.
He has been nothing short of swak in this regard so far this year and his confidence has taken a knock because of it.
There is no doubt that the Stormers will start conceding tries and that games will be closer as the tournament progresses, so they will need Willemse to up his goal kicking if they really want to make this the biggest season in the team’s history.