Lobberts has a point to prove

Hilton Lobberts is one of the saddest cases in rugby, and one of the biggest examples of how the current system has failed talented players.

Hilton Lobberts is one of the saddest cases in rugby, and one of the biggest examples of how the current system has failed talented players.

But Lobberts is also a great example of how rugby can change your life for the good. After being raised by his grandmother in Chicago, an area in Paarl better known for gangsterism and drugs, the boy from New Orleans Secondary starred for Boland at the Craven Week.

Soon, the blindside flank was on his way to Pretoria after signing for the Blue Bulls, and he became an influential member of the team, which lead to a Springbok debut at the age of 20 in 2006.

Lobberts is known for his fearless style of play and his abrasive nature on the field. He flies into every ruck, nails players in the tackle and takes the ball up with powerful surges.

Unfortunately, though, after moving to Western Province and the Stormers in 2009, he didn’t quite manage to reach those lofty heights again. He was later turned into a No 4 lock at the union, and the light that shone so bright began to fade. He then featured mostly in the Vodacom Cup for WP under coach John Dobson.

Now, after a spell at Boland and Italian side San Dona, Lobberts has joined Griquas and is on his way back to Cape Town to face the WP in a Currie Cup match tomorrow.

“We know Hilton very well, and I’m quite fond of him. The guys don’t enjoy playing against him. He has got no fear and no respect for his body,” Dobson said yesterday.

“Hilton is an interesting case. He is a guy that the system hasn’t treated particularly well, but the players in South Africa have massive respect for him, because of the quality of the person and how hard he is. I think he may have deserved better.”

While Lobberts, who will play an openside role tomorrow for Griquas, will have a point to prove to his former employers, his opposite number, Chris Cloete, will also be keen to show his mettle in his run-on debut for WP.

Cloete is a similar sort of player, a fearless individual with scant regard for his body. He was drafted into the WP squad at the start of the campaign following top performances for club side Hamiltons.

Cloete replaces the injured Sikhumbuzo Notshe, with Rynhardt Elstadt moving to No 7 and Nizaam Carr captaining the side from No 8.

In other changes for WP, Kurt Coleman comes in at flyhalf and Nic Groom slots back in at No 9. In the pack, Scarra Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff come into the front row.

Cloete, a specialist fetcher, will certainly give WP a lot more fight at the breakdown, which they have lacked, especially against the Bulls.

Competing at the breakdown, getting more turnovers and making less tackles are going to be part of the WP and Stormers philosophy going forward. They want to move away from making over 200 tackles in a match, and use the ball more, which has been a trend in Super Rugby for many years.

“We can’t make 200 tackles anymore. Those days have changed over the last three or four years,” Dobson said.

“It may sound crude, but just the injury rosters are really healthy now. We are making 110 to 120 tackles, which is still a lot, and we have to have a go at the breakdown to drop the tackle count.

“In Super Rugby, the Highlanders made the most turnovers and had the lowest tackle count. And we would be naïve if we go back to our old system of making 220 tackles.”

A win against Griquas is important to jump-start WP’s Currie Cup title defence, and gain some momentum ahead of an away clash against the Sharks, before the Bulls at home.

“We have played three of our four games away. If we don’t win this game we are in serious trouble. But we can redeem ourselves in the next three weeks and be right in it,” Dobson said. - Cape Times