Western Province have doubled down on their set-piece prep ahead of Friday night’s Currie Cup clash against the Sharks XV in Durban – a bottom-of-the-log battle that promises one side their first win of the campaign.
Despite sitting seventh and eighth, both teams showed signs of progress last week, with WP pushing the Cheetahs in a narrow 31-24 defeat in Bloemfontein. Forwards coach Brok Harris says there’s belief in the camp, but insists it starts up front.
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“We’re moving in the right direction,” Harris said.
“We weren’t at stages sticking to our plan, but we learn from it and we’ve got to do better. We had a nice lineout session today [Tuesday], but we need to be better. If we want to get a foothold on the game, we need to secure set-piece ball. But we’ve been working on it.”
Harris praised WP’s young backline threats in Bloemfontein, but added that their ability to shine depends on the platform provided by the pack. That’s why the former veteran Stormers prop has been encouraged by the contribution of Junior Bok newcomers, particularly 19-year-old tighthead Oliver Reid and captain Riley Norton.
“In general, our props are very young, but Oliver is also very mature for his age and has high levels of confidence. I think most importantly, he has big moments when he gets on the field,” Harris said.
On Norton, who impressed with his shift in the No 7 jersey against the Cheetahs, Harris added: “Riley played 80 minutes. He’s been playing really well. The guys from the Junior Boks have fitted into our system very well. Fair play to them for coming in and making a nice impact in the Currie Cup.”
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Harris believes WP are trending in the right direction, even if results haven’t gone their way.
“We’ve been together for quite a while now, and the cohesion is starting to get there. We knew it would take time, but coming away from Bloemfontein having come close to getting a result gives us confidence. We measure success by growing every week, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
A coastal clash in Durban on Friday night. #wpjoulekkerding pic.twitter.com/0aL1KpTQrW
— WP RUGBY (@WP_RUGBY) August 18, 2025
Round 5 fixtures:
Friday
Pumas vs Boland, Nelspruit, 5pm
Sharks XV vs WP, Durban, 7.10pm
Saturday
Cheetahs vs Lions, Bloemfontein, 2pm
Sunday
Bulls vs Griquas, Pretoria, 3pm
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