WP's breakdown breakdown

25 August 2015 - 02:03 By Craig Ray

Western Province are going to have to rethink their breakdown strategy after coming off second best in two outings in recent weeks. Against the struggling Free State Cheetahs at Newlands, WP managed to win, but against the Blue Bulls at Loftus on Saturday, they were comprehensively beaten at the breakdown and as a result they were thrashed 47-29.Rynhardt Elstadt, who has oscillated between No4 lock and blindside flank for his entire professional career, has been tasked with playing openside this season. And it's not working.It's not all down to Elstadt, but without a specialist fetcher in the starting line-up, WP are struggling to attack the breakdown as a unit."Against the Bulls we were under such pressure on our own breakdown and we were turning over too much ball," coach John Dobson said."As a result we struggled to get any momentum, we didn't slow their momentum and we were in trouble from early on. We couldn't get our attack going."Rynhardt was the one guy who was in there slowing them down as best he could."Dobson admitted that he was mulling over some ideas and also trying to fully understand why the team were so poor as they leaked five tries against the Bulls."Five points against the Cheetahs in our next game is vital."..

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