DHL Western Province hooker JJ Kotze says that the competitors for locations in his place means he’s at all times pushing himself to enhance his recreation.
The hard-working Kotze has began all three video games on this 12 months’s Currie Cup marketing campaign and is relishing the chance to get some priceless gametime underneath his belt.
He says that taking part in and coaching with the likes of Joseph Dweba, Andre-Hugo Venter and Scarra Ntubeni, who all have Springbok caps, is precisely what he must be at his finest.
“I’m feeling good about my recreation. In the event you don’t have that competitors or stress, you’ll by no means enhance,” he added. “In the event you play in a spot the place you are feeling comfy or keep in a consolation zone, it doesn’t gas you to develop as a participant. It doesn’t push you to enhance your self.
“The competitors we now have right here is wholesome. I’m additionally very comfortable for Andre-Hugo Venter and Joseph Dweba who’ve been with the Springboks. It’s given me a possibility to chase them and try to get there myself.
“That competitors is what’s finest for the staff. The coaches listed below are at all times pushing us to maintain our requirements excessive. For now, I’m striving to get extra time on the sector.”
The 23-year-old Kotze admirably balances taking part in for WP and the DHL Stormers with finishing his {qualifications} as a physiotherapist from Stellenbosch College.
KEO: Rassie & Razor: Rugby’s terrific twins separated at delivery
ALSO: WP locked in for Loftus journey
“There are nonetheless some sensible hours that I’ve to finish this 12 months. That shall be throughout a interval the place there aren’t any matches,” he defined.
“I believe we may have a spot in November the place I shall be finishing my hours. So it gained’t have an effect on my availability to play.”
Kotze and his teammates will journey as much as Pretoria for the second north-south derby of the 2024 version of rugby’s oldest competitors on Saturday, and buoyed by an emphatic win towards the Griffons in Welkom.
WP scored 4 tries and secured two bonus factors in a slim defeat towards the Vodacom Bulls of their Currie Cup opener at Cape City Stadium, and Kotze can’t look ahead to the Loftus Versfeld conflict.
“It’s at all times robust towards the Bulls; it may very well be a warm-up recreation on the Danie Craven Stadium and it could nonetheless be a troublesome derby. We’re wanting ahead to it,” Kotze stated.
“It’s at all times an necessary recreation. The rivalry is at all times there. The sport is on Saturday and through our staff conferences this week you can already really feel that it’s WP towards the Bulls.
“We’ve got expectations of ourselves and our processes so whether or not it’s within the scrums or line-outs, we need to maintain our requirements excessive, stay focussed and discover these connections out on the sector.”
Photograph: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Photos
The put up Entrance-row grafter shifts gears for WP appeared first on SA Rugby journal.
