Western Province have been given an ominous warning by former Griquas lock Adre Smith ahead of their Currie Cup match in Kimberley on Friday evening.

Smith spent a year and a half with Griquas before moving to Cape Town and joining the Stormers in September 2021, so is well versed in what will be awaiting Province when they travel north for their next Currie Cup fixture.

Speaking to media this week, WP lock David Meihuizen said that while Smith could not reveal too much tactically, he told the Province players to expect an intense physical battle this weekend.

“He told us that they want to bully us and have an attitude of ‘make them soft’,” Meihuizen, who is likely to start at No 5 for Province, told Netwerk24.

“We know that they will not shy away. The onus is on us to front up.

“Unfortunately, their plans changed and he [Smith] was removed from the [Griquas] WhatsApp group. At least he also revealed to us which of their forwards have weak knees and ankles … if we need another plan,” Meihuizen said with a laugh.

When Province last played against Griquas in Kimberley in 2021, they were handed a 40-26 thrashing. This came after WP suffered a last-minute loss to Griquas in Cape Town earlier in the season.

For Meihuizen, the loss in Kimberley was made all the more painful as he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of 2021.

“About half of our team for this week played in that game,” Meihuizen said. “It’s a game we remember with a bitter taste. It is personal for many of us.”

Province opened their Currie Cup campaign with a 48-36 win over the Lions, but have since been beaten by the Vodacom Bulls and Sharks, who both fielded teams featuring Vodacom United Rugby Championship players.

Meanwhile, Griquas suffered opening defeats by the Cheetahs and Sharks, but did bounce back to claim a convincing 40-21 win over the Pumas in round three.

Photo: Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images