Gavin Rich

Johannesburg – Luke Watson has recovered from his flu and will be back at the helm of Vodacom Western Province in Saturday’s crucial ABSA Currie Cup match against the Xerox Lions at Newlands.

The No 8 pulled out of last week’s game against Boland Cavaliers in Wellington at the last minute, with hooker Tiaan Liebenberg taking over the captaincy and leading WP to a convincing victory over their neighbours in the annual Cape derby.

Word from the WP camp is that Watson is now back in full health, and Province are looking forward to having him back for a match which could be injected with a bit of needle because of the ongoing enmity between the Western Province and Lions unions over player contracts.

It started towards the end of 2007, when Rassie Erasmus took over what was in effect the WP director of rugby position and managed to lure away Brian Mujati. He is attempting to do the same now with Springbok centre Jaque Fourie, who is keen to move to the Cape. But the Lions have dug their heels in and have made it known they will keep Fourie to his contract which holds him to the union until the end of next season.

The Stormers brains-trust are known to be working on loopholes in their quest to secure Fourie’s services, and are believed they are confident they can still get him to the Cape, but it has done nothing to improve the already tetchy relationship between the two unions.

Adding to the determination of the Lions will be the knowledge that these are now desperate times for them in terms of this year’s domestic competition. Their defeat to the Sharks in Johannesburg last weekend was their third of the season, and with Griquas looking so strong as the competition’s dark-horse, the Lions cannot afford to lose more ground.

But WP are confident that they are now gathering momentum, with coach Allister Coetzee praising the team for their clinical second half performance against Boland, where they scored four tries.

The WP team for the Lions game will be named on Wednesday, but the problem for Coetzee as he welcomes back players from injuries revolves more around who he is going to leave out than who he is going to find to fill the positions in the team.

9 Responses to Lulu is back.

  • 1

  • 2

    Flu?
    I thought he had a honeymoon injury, KP said something about a busted ‘knater’?

  • 3

    A bit off the topic, but I see Hoskins is suggesting that the Melbourne franchise and Southern Kings should unite in the forthcoming S15…….?

  • 4

    @Pietman
    Nee man, hy is te skaam om te erken dat dit so seer was toe hy die eerste keer saam met sy vrou slaap dat hy nie kans gesien het vir nog stampe en stote nie!!
    Hopenlik harloop hy Saterdag in Willem Alberts vas…

  • 5

    Manne en maninne,

    Ek gaan die Titel hier verander van “The KING of hurling is back” na iets ligter toe… daar is sekere mense wat Lulu geniet en like… en ons strewe seker daarna om taamlik inklusief te wees, nie waar nie…

  • 6

    Yip… stem saam.

  • 7

    Oh shit, there goes the Newlands neighborhood again

  • 8

    Hey! Who allowed Looke articles on this blog? Not on…

  • 9

    I notice the term ‘brains trust’ seems to get used an awful lot these days. As annoying as it is when a tv commentary team use it to describe a coaching staff, surely it is the ultimate irony using it to describe anyone who has anything to do with anything behind the scenes at Western Province?

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