Sport24's Rob Houwing writes on the likely relief at the Sharks and Western Province over the availability of their currently first-choice No 2s.
"In many respects they represent the stabilising fulcrum of the scrum, their lineout throwing and appreciation of the associated calls and nuances in that department is supposed to assure and mature like a fine cabernet sauvignon, and they are commonly expected, like cricket’s wicketkeepers, to become involved in the general gee-up process for the collective troops.
"So I can think of a few people in Durban and Cape Town, ahead of Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup semi-finals at these coastal hubs, who have heaved well-developed sighs of relief that Messrs Bismarck du Plessis, for the Sharks, and Western Province’s Deon Fourie will be at their stations against the Blue Bulls and Cheetahs respectively.
"In each case, possible absence might have affected the likelihood of both teams progressing to the October 30 showpiece more substantially than is realised."
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