Watching his teammate and fellow hooker Andre-Hugo Venter debut for the Springboks last week has made Western Province’s JJ Kotze honger as they prepare to face the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup this weekend.
WP travel to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday hoping to avenge their 30-25 first-round defeat to the Bulls on a wet Cape Town Stadium turf, with Kotze starting in that game.
And although Province went on to lose their next game to the Cheetahs in Bloem before this past Sunday’s 64-15 win over the Griffons in Welkom, Kotze has cemented his place in the No.2 jersey.
Kotze, though, wants a regular place in the Stormers lineup in next season’s United Rugby Championship and says of putting pressure on Boks Joseph Dweba and Venter, “I feel good about it, because if you don’t have that pressure and competition it won’t force you to improve. If you stay comfortable in your current role, you won’t grow.
“The competition is healthy and I am happy for Vennas [Venter] and Joe that they are there. And [playing regularly in the Currie Cup] gives me that opportunity to try and chase them and get there myself.”