Ken Borland

Western Province captain Nama Xaba is one of the most exciting young loose forwards in the country, but for now he is focused on trying to lead his team out of the Currie Cup doldrums and gobbling up every opportunity he gets for the high-flying Stormers side in the United Rugby Championship.

The 24-year-old Xaba is a turnover specialist of note, but his place in the Stormers team is blocked by the evergreen Deon Fourie, who has been in phenomenal form this year. But the respect with which the Durban-born player is held in Cape Town is shown by him being appointed captain of the Currie Cup team, which is struggling to stay in semi-final contention with just nine points from eight matches.

“It’s been a baptism of fire for me but a great honour to captain Western Province,” Xaba said. “It hasn’t gone too well on the field, but we have a young side and we will take a lot of learnings out of it.

“We know what exciting players we have in the union and we’re just waiting for everything to click, we’re trying to get our competitiveness back, we feel like we can touch it, it’s so close.

“There are a few players swinging between the URC and the Currie Cup, like myself, Ben-Jason Dixon and Juan de Jongh. In a way I’m fortunate that I know I’m not in John Dobson’s direct URC plans and I won’t be starting every week.

“But I just try and use whatever opportunity I get in the URC to the best of my ability. It’s tricky when players come down to the Currie Cup side, but obviously their experience is very helpful,” Xaba said.

The Western Province Rugby Union was in disarray a couple of years ago, but the superb success of the Stormers – fourth in the URC log – has improved the mood considerably. Xaba said the team management have been able to drive a focus on what is happening inside the squad and on the field, but not allowing all the administrative controversy and chaos to distract them.

“The management have brought a lot of change in attitude and we should give them credit. What’s happening in the newspapers is not being allowed to creep into the team space.

“The coaches have done really well because it is our job security on the line. We have focused just on what we need to do, which has freed up the players and we are training well. They’ve done well to shield us.

“Winning is also a big thing. There are a lot of external pressures if you don’t win, because people think those off-field issues are creeping in. But it takes a lot of pressure off when you have the Stormers being so successful in the URC,” Xaba said.

The Stormers were clinical in gobbling up their chances in the first half but looked like being overwhelmed by the Bulls in the second before they staged a late comeback to win 30-26 in their United Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Having surrendered an 18-0 lead and trailing 26-18 with 12 minutes remaining, replacement back Warrick Gelant inspired two breakaway tries that saw the Stormers snatch the spoils in the end.

The Stormers had raced into that 18-0 lead with a superb effort, their pack stepping up and dominating and flyhalf Manie Libbok pulling the strings well at flyhalf.

Wing Seabelo Senatla was dished up two tries by deft grubbers from Libbok, who also added two penalties.

With loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff feasting in the scrums, the Stormers were dominating that phase as well. But the momentum turned on a vital scrum decision just before halftime when Kitshoff was penalised for scrumming around the corner, which could have been a 50/50 call.

The Bulls kicked into the corner, piled on the pressure, forced a yellow card on flank Ernst van Rhyn, and then hooker Johan Grobbelaar scored from the rolling maul. Flyhalf Chris Smith’s conversion further ate into the lead as the visitors went into the break 18-7 up.

The second half was a bright affair as the Bulls dominated the third quarter with Morne Steyn coming on at flyhalf and provided a much-needed spark.

A dazzling move off a scrum, with many dummy runners involved, saw Steyn then pass inside to wing Madosh Tambwe, who came knifing through on the angle to score.

The sharp thinking of the veteran former Springbok flyhalf then led to another try just four minutes later. He tapped a penalty and ran, and then put in a big crossfield kick to wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, who fed scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who raced away for the try.

The Bulls were suddenly ahead 21-18 and matters looked even gloomier for the Stormers when Bulls eighthman Elrigh Louw powered through some lacklustre defence to score the home side’s fourth try.

But Gelant had arrived on the scene and began showing his immense talents. Shortly after the restart, he made a great break down the right and then put in a brilliant infield kick for scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies to score.

The Bulls lost Tambwe to a yellow card for an aerial collision just two minutes later, and it was down his wing that the Stormers surged, through Damian Willemse and Gelant, with Senatla also making some yards, before replacement scrumhalf Paul de Wet rounded off the try.

A disappointing display by the Bulls, in which they only really caught fire for 20 minutes, was completed when Steyn, trying another crosskick after the final hooter, put the ball in touch as Tambwe did not have much space, the ball bouncing away from him as the Stormers defence converged.

Scorers

Bulls: Tries – Johan Grobbelaar, Madosh Tambwe, Embrose Papier, Elrigh Louw. Conversions – Chris Smith, Morne Steyn (2).

Stormers: Tries – Seabelo Senatla (2), Herschel Jantjies, Paul de Wet. Conversions – Manie Libbok (2). Penalties – Libbok (2).