Gardens must go flat out and produce a lion-hearted “one million per cent” team effort when they face Villager in a do-or-die Pick n Pay Gold Cup knockout clash in Cape Town on Saturday, coach Julian Daniels says.
With club rugby history beckoning and a place in the semifinals on the line, Daniels wants his team to pull out all the stops and go for broke in what promises to be an epic showdown.
The powerhouse Kariega side displayed an icy temperament when they progressed to the quarterfinals with a nerve-jangling 29-25 win over Kruisfontein United at the Central Field in Kariega last Saturday.
After beating Kruisfontein twice in the EPRU Grand Challenge competition, Gardens chalked up a memorable hat-trick of wins over the plucky Humansdorp side in front of a capacity crowd at the Central Field.
“Every player must give his one million per cent effort in Cape Town on Saturday,” Daniels said.
“I believe our fitness will get us through because the boys are extremely fit.
“Gardens won't be underestimating the second-oldest team in the country.
“We don't know them and Villager don't know us.
“It will be a huge battle and our boys have been prepared since the start of the Gold Cup.
“We will do our best and we have been in the Gold Cup quarterfinals finals before, when we lost narrowly to Rhinos in an away game.
“Now the boys have their eyes on the next hurdle, and we have to bring our A game and play for the full 80 minutes to win.
“I must pay tribute to the Gardens strength and conditioning coaches, Clark Coetzee, Basil Masimla and Christo McKenzie, who have all done a fantastic job along with our executive.
“We have no injuries and the boys are well prepared and Gardens are in it to win it.”
Gardens vice-president Royden Johnson said playing with heart and adapting to the moment will be key for Gardens in Cape Town.
“We’ve built our success on physicality up front, quick ball movement, and disciplined defence,” he said.
“But most importantly, our rugby is played with heart.
“Gardens adapt well to the moment.
“Whether it’s grinding it out or opening the game up, that adaptability has been one of our biggest strengths this season.
“Our coach, Julian Daniels, has done an outstanding job managing the boys.
“He understands the physical and emotional demands of the Gold Cup.
“The focus this week has been on recovery, mental sharpness and controlled intensity.
The energy in camp is calm but confident and everyone knows what’s at stake.
Johnson said Gardens had been analysing Villager ahead of the clash.
“We’ve seen some of their matches on YouTube, which gave us a fair idea of their structure,” he said
“But we also rely on our network of clubs in Cape Town for some inside tips.
“That’s the beauty of club rugby — relationships and respect run deep across provinces.”
SA Rugby chief Rian Oberholzer said the tournament had now reached the business end.
“The last eight teams standing will now know that anything can happen in a knockout tournament and that they are within touching distance of lifting the cup,” he said
“I would once again like to thank Pick n Pay and Northam Platinum for making the Gold Cup possible, thus allowing our best amateur and semi-professional players the chance to display their talents on a national stage.
“In 2017, Grant Williams was playing in the Gold Cup for College Rovers and on Saturday, he was in London, lifting the Rugby Championship trophy with the Springboks.
“The Gold Cup has the potential to provide the next Grant Williams with an alternative route to professional and even international rugby, and I have no doubt this will happen sooner rather than later.”
The Villager vs Gardens clash will be shown live at 2.55pm on SuperSport channel 210.
Saturday's quarterfinals :
South Section: Robertson v College Rovers (Robertson), Villager v Gardens (Cape Town).
North Section: Naka Bulls v Northam Wolves (Pretoria), Northam Rhinos v Harlequins (Setaria).
The Herald
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