He is fast-approaching 100 caps in a Border Bulldogs jersey but Blake Kyd has only scored two tries – something he hopes to improve on before he reaches the triple-digit milestone.
Some might argue his lack of tries is mostly due to the brand of rugby that the East London franchise play. Because the team is not too forward- orientated, the ever hard-working tighthead prop is not expected to score tries.
His job is to be the muscle of the team, to make tackles, gain territory and get over the advantage line – something he excels at.
He has been one of the Bulldogs’ key players since he joined the team in 2012. As a result, he is the most capped player in the current squad with 91 caps.
So how does that feel?
“It feels good. It makes me feel old,” the-28 year-old jokingly replied.
“But good. I’m excited and I’m hoping that I can get to my 100 this year.”
Kyd will earn his 92nd cap against Western Province when the Bulldogs host the SuperSport Rugby Challenge Festival at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane tomorrow.
But Kyd hopes he will start improving on his try-scoring record.
“The backline players are the good- looking guys who score all the tries,” siad.
“Us in the front-row, we do all the hard work, so I don’t mind – I get excited when I score. But I don't mind not scoring the tries,” he said.
“It was a good feeling to score one against Boland in our first game so hopefully this weekend I can get another one,” he said.
Kyd remembers the day like it was yesterday when he first put on the Bulldogs jersey. He came for a two-week-trial in 2012 and, before the trials were up, his skills convinced the coaching staff to sign him up.
“I arrived here in 2012 in my little VW Golf with all my clothes in the back. I didn't know anybody in East London. Before my trials were up, they gave me a contract and I've been here since,” the Pietermaritzburg prop recalled.
He played his first warm-up game for the invitational Southern Kings team against the Free State Cheetahs. His first official game for the Bulldogs was against the Sharks.
“I can't remember the score but it was a bit of a beating,” he laughed.
Kyd believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to be among the best teams in the country. But that can only be achieved if the team’s confidence skyrockets.
“Personally, I'd like to always improve every aspect of my game. I don’t believe that props should be guys that are there for bashing and scrumming, so I always want to improve my hands, my speed, my fitness, just generally everything.
“As a team, I want our confidence to improve because for four years now we've been working so hard on our fitness. Our physicality is there.
“Our skill is there but it’s our confidence ... that we don't believe we are the best,” he said.
So are the Bulldogs the best?
“We’ve got all the talent in the world – it's just the confidence of the guys to believe that they can be,” he said.
A glimpse of their potential came to the fore last season, when the Bulldogs lost to the Griffons in the Currie Cup First Division semifinal. The Griffons went on to win the trophy.
Kyd rates Southern Kings wing Makazole Mapimpi and Lions tighthead prop, Johannes Jonker, highly and says they are among the best players he has played with.
“Coming from first division to Super Rugby is a great achievement. Those are two of the guys that have been the most phenomenal for me,” he said.
Kyd regards the Argentinian outfit, Pampas, as the most physical side that he has faced.
Before the main SuperSport Rugby Challenge game at 3pm, Swallows and Winter Rose will tussle in a Gold Cup qualifier at 11am before the EP Kings entertain SWD Eagles at 1pm.
Kyd and his teammates will be eager to get back to winning ways after they were defeated in their last outing. But he is aware that getting the better of the unbeaten Western Province team will be nothing short of a mammoth task.
“Province has always been a bogey side of ours. They come out fighting because they have quite a very similar game-plan to ours where they like to attack out wide,
“So we’re going to try and play them physically from the beginning just to catch them off-guard and then also, mainly playing to our strengths with our quick backs and our physical forwards,” he said after training on Thursday.
“They are going to see a good calibre of rugby played because we’re doing it out in the community.
“Most of the guys are from there so it’s really playing close to home for them,” Kyd added.
Few tries, but this Kyd can play
Some might argue his lack of tries is mostly due to the brand of rugby that the East London franchise play. Because the team is not too forward- orientated, the ever hard-working tighthead prop is not expected to score tries.
His job is to be the muscle of the team, to make tackles, gain territory and get over the advantage line – something he excels at.
He has been one of the Bulldogs’ key players since he joined the team in 2012. As a result, he is the most capped player in the current squad with 91 caps.
So how does that feel?
“It feels good. It makes me feel old,” the-28 year-old jokingly replied.
“But good. I’m excited and I’m hoping that I can get to my 100 this year.”
Kyd will earn his 92nd cap against Western Province when the Bulldogs host the SuperSport Rugby Challenge Festival at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane tomorrow.
But Kyd hopes he will start improving on his try-scoring record.
“The backline players are the good- looking guys who score all the tries,” siad.
“Us in the front-row, we do all the hard work, so I don’t mind – I get excited when I score. But I don't mind not scoring the tries,” he said.
“It was a good feeling to score one against Boland in our first game so hopefully this weekend I can get another one,” he said.
Kyd remembers the day like it was yesterday when he first put on the Bulldogs jersey. He came for a two-week-trial in 2012 and, before the trials were up, his skills convinced the coaching staff to sign him up.
“I arrived here in 2012 in my little VW Golf with all my clothes in the back. I didn't know anybody in East London. Before my trials were up, they gave me a contract and I've been here since,” the Pietermaritzburg prop recalled.
He played his first warm-up game for the invitational Southern Kings team against the Free State Cheetahs. His first official game for the Bulldogs was against the Sharks.
“I can't remember the score but it was a bit of a beating,” he laughed.
Kyd believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to be among the best teams in the country. But that can only be achieved if the team’s confidence skyrockets.
“Personally, I'd like to always improve every aspect of my game. I don’t believe that props should be guys that are there for bashing and scrumming, so I always want to improve my hands, my speed, my fitness, just generally everything.
“As a team, I want our confidence to improve because for four years now we've been working so hard on our fitness. Our physicality is there.
“Our skill is there but it’s our confidence ... that we don't believe we are the best,” he said.
So are the Bulldogs the best?
“We’ve got all the talent in the world – it's just the confidence of the guys to believe that they can be,” he said.
A glimpse of their potential came to the fore last season, when the Bulldogs lost to the Griffons in the Currie Cup First Division semifinal. The Griffons went on to win the trophy.
Kyd rates Southern Kings wing Makazole Mapimpi and Lions tighthead prop, Johannes Jonker, highly and says they are among the best players he has played with.
“Coming from first division to Super Rugby is a great achievement. Those are two of the guys that have been the most phenomenal for me,” he said.
Kyd regards the Argentinian outfit, Pampas, as the most physical side that he has faced.
Before the main SuperSport Rugby Challenge game at 3pm, Swallows and Winter Rose will tussle in a Gold Cup qualifier at 11am before the EP Kings entertain SWD Eagles at 1pm.
Kyd and his teammates will be eager to get back to winning ways after they were defeated in their last outing. But he is aware that getting the better of the unbeaten Western Province team will be nothing short of a mammoth task.
“Province has always been a bogey side of ours. They come out fighting because they have quite a very similar game-plan to ours where they like to attack out wide,
“So we’re going to try and play them physically from the beginning just to catch them off-guard and then also, mainly playing to our strengths with our quick backs and our physical forwards,” he said after training on Thursday.
“They are going to see a good calibre of rugby played because we’re doing it out in the community.
“Most of the guys are from there so it’s really playing close to home for them,” Kyd added.
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