OPINION: Three key head-to-head face-offs at Loftus
SPOTLIGHT: @king365ed looks at three of the key head-to-head face-offs in the United Rugby Championship semifinal between the Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Versfeld.
The rate at which the game is selling out (40,000 and counting by Wednesday morning), reflects the magnitude of the occasion and the consequence of the outcome.
South African derbies are always entertaining, enthralling and mostly brutal.
However, they also provide some amusing and delightful head-to-head battles.
In Pretoria on Saturday, pitched battles are expected to erupt throughout the park.
I look at three of the more immersive and fascinating head-to-heads!
Wilco Louw v Ox Nche
Scrums are not about one-on-one battles. They are about the collective.
However, in those collaborative contests, there are also some powerful individuals.
Louw and Nche are two of the most destructive scrummagers, both on the domestic, European and international stage.
In his 16 starts, apart from the numerous scrum penalties he helped his team win, Louw has made 51 carries, 73 tackles, won the odd turnover and conceded just six penalties.
Nche, who featured in just 12 of the Sharks’ games, made 86 carries, 88 tackles, won a handful of turnovers and conceded eight penalties.
Give me my popcorn, this is going to be a wild ride!
Ruan Nortjé v Vincent Tshituka
While Nortjé has already played in six Tests since his debut in 2022, Tshituka was invited to his first Springbok alignment camp this year.
Nortjé is a lock-turned-flank, while Tshituka is a loose forward who can play in the second row. Both fit perfectly into the Rassie Erasmus ‘utility’ category.
Nortjé’s nine appearances has added significant value, especially since his move to No.7 – with 43 carries for more than 100 metres, a handful of offloads (a more prominent feature in the Bok forward’s arsenal), 80 tackles, a turnover (also new) and just two penalties.
Tshituka’s 15 games were equally as impressive, if not more so – with 121 carries for 360-odd metres, 15 offloads, 152 tackles, 10 turnovers and 10 penalties.
This face-off falls into the ‘brutal’ category.
Keagan Johannes v Jordan Hendrikse
Johannes, a scrumhalf who was returned to the flyhalf role he played at school, will have the ideal opportunity to make a statement about getting an invite to the Green and Gold club.
There has been some jittery moments, as was to be expected, but also signs that he could be the answer to the Bulls’ No.10 conundrum.
His stats reflect both his games (15) as scrumhalf and flyhalf – 55 carries, 174 metres, seven defenders beaten, three offloads, three clean breaks, 49 tackles (success rate of 75 percent), kicking success rate of 72 percent, 1635 kick-metres and just one penalty conceded.
With two Tests, both against Wales (at Twickenham and Cardiff) last year, Hendrikse is the more settled flyhalf.
His 17 games (16 starts) have produced 170 carries for 600-plus metres, 40 defenders beaten, nine clean brakes, 23 offloads, 81 tackles (also 75 percent success rate), 74 percent kicking success rate, 1963 kick metres and nine penalties.
This could be one for the ages!
@king365ed
@rugby365com
