Cape Town — At the start of the season, Ben-Jason Dixon never thought he would be getting the opportunities in the Stormers and Western Province jerseys that he has gotten.
In fact for the utility forward the prospect was to grab every opportunity that came his way, even if it meant playing off the bench.
But after a couple of breakthrough performances, the 25-year-old became a regular in the Stormers squad, helping the team to a second successive final in the United Rugby Championship.
He wants to end his breakthrough season with another big performance for Province in their final round-robin Currie Cup clash on Saturday (5:05pm kickoff) at Cape Town Stadium.
"I am delighted at how this season has gone," Dixon said.
"At the start of the season, I was wondering what it would look like (for me). I thought I was probably going to play off the bench for a lot of matches. But I had the chance to start a game in the middle of the season, and it's been going well from there with a lot of game time.
“What I did not expect was getting so many opportunities at No 7. Playing at flank has been a lot of fun. It's a different game compared to lock, but I feel I had the opportunity to grow with more starts.”
WP can still qualify for the Currie Cup semi-finals, but need to beat the Sharks with a bonus point, while other results on Friday and Saturday also have to go their way if they are to sneak into the semis.
Two losses in a row, against the Lions and Griquas, severely hampered WP's chances of securing a knockout spot after punching above their weight with young players in the domestic competition.
Dixon feels they have something to prove if this will be their last game of the season, and it can be crucial in giving them momentum heading into next season, especially after the disappointment of losing the URC final.
“Although it's been a long season, I do not feel like I need rest now. I know our chances are slim, but I'm like, let's go and make it count. Hopefully, we can get into the playoffs. I know a lot of players feel this way,” he said.
IOL Sport