Preview: Vodacom Cup, Quarterfinals
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The four South Section teams in the Vodacom Cup quarterfinals will be out for revenge after none of them progressed past the last eight in 2014.
Teams from the north have dominated proceedings in the Vodacom Cup, which kicked off in 1998.
Only three times out of 17 campaigns have non-Northern teams won the competition – that was in 2000 (Free State XV), 2011 (Pampas XV) and 2012 (Western Province). Griquas, runners-up in the South Section this year, played in the North Section previously.
The Vodacom Cup remained in the north for the other 14 years. The Golden Lions (1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2013) and Griquas (1998, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014) have won it five times each, the Blue Bulls three times (2001, 2008, 2010) and the Falcons once (2006).
The defending champions will be the first team in action in the quarterfinals this year when the Pumas travel to Kimberley on Friday to play Griquas.
Peter Engledow’s team from the Northern Cape lost only one of their pool matches this year, which gives them an impressive winning record of 15 out of their last 17 Vodacom Cup matches.
The Pumas, coached by former Blitzbok speedster MJ Mentz, have been a strong contender in recent years – they were runners up in 2013, lost in the semifinal last year and won five of their seven pool matches this year.
The Blue Bulls host the Free State XV in the second quarterfinal at Loftus Versfeld on Friday. It’s a replay of last year’s quarterfinal, won by the men from Pretoria by a single point.
The Nollis Marais-coached Blue Bulls scored 40 tries in their seven pool matches this season, which is the most by any team. Their opponents from Bloemfontein, coached by Rory Duncan, were the top try-scoring side in the South Section with 28.
Saturday’s two quarterfinals take place in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The SWD Eagles will have a massive mountain to climb when they travel to Ellis Park to take on the top side from the North Section, the Golden Lions.
The men from George, coached by former Springbok fullback Bevin Fortuin, have notched up a few impressive wins this season, but facing a mean-looking Golden Lions side at altitude is another proposition.
Russell Winter, coach of the Johannesburg-based side, would have faced Fortuin many times in his provincial career and will know it would be a massive mistake to underestimate the Eagles, but the Golden Lions would still be favourites to qualify for their third successive semifinal.
The last quarterfinal is at City Park in Athlone, where John Dobson’s South Section champions, Western Province, will host the Leopards XV.
The men from Potchefstroom, coached by Chaka Willemse, needed a bonus-point victory in their final pool match to make it into the top eight, which they duly did in Windhoek last weekend, but a visit to the Cape is a different proposition.
Vodacom Cup – Historic performances
Golden Lions
Best performance: Champions in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2013
Performance in 2014: Runners-up (lost to Griquas in the Final, 30-6)
Western Province
Best performance: Champions in 2012
Performance in 2014: Lost in quarterfinals (13-8 to Pumas)
Blue Bulls
Best performance: Champions in 2001, 2008 and 2010
Performance in 2014: Lost in semifinals (16-15 to Golden Lions)
Griquas
Best performance: Champions in 1998, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014
Performance in 2014: Champions (beat Golden Lions in the Final, 30-6)
Pumas
Best performance: Runners-up in 2013
Performance in 2014: Lost in semifinals (15-14 to Griquas)
Free State XV
Best performance: Champions in 2000
Performance in 2014: Lost in quarterfinals (22-21 to Blue Bulls)
Leopards XV
Best performance: Runners-up in 2005
Performance in 2014: 5th in North Section
SWD Eagles
Best performance: Lost in semifinals, 1998
Performance in 2014: Lost in quarterfinals (84-15 to Griquas)
Vodacom Cup – Previous Winners:
1998: Griquas
1999: Golden Lions
2000: Free State Cheetahs
2001: Blue Bulls
2002: Golden Lions
2003: Golden Lions
2004: Golden Lions
2005: Griquas
2006: Falcons
2007: Griquas
2008: Blue Bulls
2009: Griquas
2010: Blue Bulls
2011: Pampas XV
2012: Western Province
2013: Golden Lions
2014: Griquas
Quarterfinal fixtures:
Friday, 15 May
Griquas v Pumas
Kick-off: 19.00
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Blue Bulls v Free State XV
Kick-off: 19.10
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Rodney Boneparte
Saturday, 16 May
Golden Lions v SWD Eagles
Kick-off: 14.10
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi
Western Province v Leopards XV
Kick-off: 15.30
Venue: City Park, Cape Town
Referee: Jaco Kotze
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