Cavaliers lose two stalwarts
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:53
The Boland Cavaliers have lost "a massive amount" of experience when two stalwarts announced their retirement.
Seasoned flank Henley du Plessis and loosehead prop Fabian Brandt have decided to call it a day.
Boland coach Deon Davids said the retirement of two of his most experienced players comes as "a massive amount of experienced lost".
Du Plessis, a No.7 flank and stand-in captain, has quit because of a serious neck injury.
He had an operation a couple of weeks ago, but injured his neck again in just his second match after the operation. He has played 133 matches for the Cavaliers.
Brandt retires because of a right knee injury that does not want to heal properly. His last match for the Cavaliers was in 2006 when he helped Boland to a convincing win against the Leopards in the First Division Final at Potchefstroom.
"I've been off for 18 months now and the knee doesn't seem to come right. Therefore I have decided to concentrate on coaching in future," Brandt said.
Brandt has represented the Cavaliers 132 times.
And if one take into consideration that tight head prop Tommy Dixon has retired at the start of the Currie Cup competition, Boland have lost three players with a total of 368 first class matches.
Dixon has played 103 times for the Cavaliers.
"Tommy, Henley and Fabian will not be replaced overnight," a distraught Davids said.
SAPA
