/ 8 January 1998

Souped-up sides for Super 12

THURSDAY, 12.30PM:

THE four regional teams competing in this year’s Super 12 will be much stronger than the provincial sides of the past, SA Rugby Football Union CE Riaan Oberholzer said on Wednesday.

Springbok coach Nick Mallett, Oberholzer, and the four regional coaches met at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday to discuss and plan the coming rugby season.

Mallett said the 30-man squads for the four sides will be announced in the second week of next month.

At present the coaches — Peet Kleynhans (Golden Cats), Ian MacIntosh (Coastal Sharks), Eugene van Wyk (Northern Bulls) and Harry Viljoen (Cape Stormers) — each have a list of 40 players, but these will be cut down to 30 once the trading of players is finalised.

All four coaches agreed with the names of the players that Mallett wanted to see in the Super 12.