Currie Cup Finals: Sharks v WP
Western Province and the Sharks (a.k.a Natal) have met five times in Currie Cup Finals. Western Province have won three, the Sharks two.
The first time they met was only the second time, after 1956, that Natal had been in a Final and they weren't supposed to be there. That year the Currie Cup was divided into an A Section and a B Section based on strength. As a sop to the B Section so that they could pretend that they were playing for the Currie Cup, the top two teams in the A Section played the top two teams in the B Section. 1 played 2 (Western Province vs Eastern Transvaal and 2 played one, in this case Orange Free State vs Natal.
Free State were so expected to win that the Free Staters had dished out Final tickets. They sauntered down to Durban and Wynand Claassen's side beat them to make the Final. The Free Staters had to scurry back to Bloemfontein to sort out the tickets and deliver them to Natal.
Western Province beat the Red Devils 53-0 and so the Final was at Newlands.
Western Province vs Natal, 19-9 at Newlands on 6 October 1984
Natal gave Western Province a real go as their forwards piled in, but those were glory years in the Western Province with powerful packs of forwards. They got the upper hand in the second half and after tall Calla Scholtz raced in for a try Western Province moved away with the match after Natal had led 9-3 at half-time.
Scorers:
For Western Province:
Tries: Scholtz, Burger, Louw
Cons: Scholtz 2
Pen: Scholtz
For Natal:
Pen: Reece Edwards
Drops: Visagie 2
Teams:
For Western Province: Calla Scholtz, Bertie de Wet, Goggie van Heerden (Robbie Blair), Carel du Plessis, Neil Burger, Michael du Plessis, Divan Serfontein (captain), Nick Mallett, Kulu Ferreira, Rob Louw, Schalk Burger, Hennie Bekker, Attie Strauss, Shaun Povey. Bill Nieuwoudt
For Natal: Hugh Reece Edwards, Des McLean, Greg Hamilton, Ronnie Haarhof, Cobus Aucamp, Gawie Visagie, Craig Jamieson, Wynand Claassen (captain), Derek le Marque, Peter Edmunds, André Botha, Chris Faure. Murray Dawson, Rob Hankinson, Peter Downes.
Referee: Cassie Carstens
Natal vs Western Province, 25-17 in Durban on 14 October 1995
The rain teemed down at King's Park and people thought it was weather to suit Western Province. It did not. Helped by the slippery weather Natal nullified their scrumming strength and ran out easy winners to take the Currie Cup for the third time.
Scorers:
For Natal:
Try: Van der Westhuizen
Con: Lacroix
Pens: Lacroix 6
For Western Province:
Try: Strauss
Pens: Stransky 4
Teams:
Natal: André Joubert, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Jeremy Thomson, Henry Honiball, James Small, Thierry Lacroix, Kevin Putt, Gary Teichmann (captain), Wickus van Heerden, Wayne Fyvie, Olivier Roumat, Mark Andrews, Adrian Garvey, John Allen, Robbie Kempson
Every one had played or would play international rugby.
Western Province: Pieter Rossouw, Chester Williams, Christian Stewart, Tinus Linee, Justin Swart, Joel Stransky, Michael Kirsten, Tiaan Strauss (captain), Fritz van Heerden, Laurent Cabannes, FC Smit, Louis Blom, Tommie Laubscher, Mornay Visser and Toks van der Linde
Only Kirsten and Blom did not play international rugby.
Referee: Tappe Henning
Western Province vs Sharks, 25-15 in Durban on 28 October 2000
Natal were above Western Province on the Currie Cup log and so the Final was in Durban.
Western Province scored three tries to nil, which is a fair summary of the match.
Scorers:
For Western Province:
Tries: Paulse 2, Rossouw
Cons: Van Straaten 2
Pens: Van Straaten 2
For Sharks:
Pens: Du Toit 5
Teams:
Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, Braam van Straaten, Pieter Rossouw, Chris Rossouw (De Wet Barry), Dan van Zyl, Adri Badenhorst, Hendrik Gerber (Robbie Brink), Corné Krige (captain), Hottie Louw (Thys Scholtz), Quinton Davids, Robbie Kempson (Faan Rautenbach), Charl Marais (Pieter Dixon), Toks van der Linde
Sharks: Gaffie du Toit, Deon Kayser, Stefan Terblanche, Trevor Halstead, Stephen Brink (Rodger Smith), Butch James, Craig Davidson, Shaun Sowerby (Charl van Rensburg), AJ Venter, Warren Brosnihan, Mark Andrews, Albert van den Berg, Etienne Fynn (Brent Moyle), Chris Rossouw (John Smit), Ollie le Roux
Referee: André Watson
Western Province vs Natal, 29-24 at Newlands on 27 October 2001
Western Province came from behind to win a thriller and had much to thank Braam van Straaten who equalled Naas Botha's tally of 24 points in a Currie Cup Final.
Scorers:
For Western Province:
Tries: Chris Rossouw, Van Straaten
Cons: Van Straaten 2
Pens: Van Straaten 5
For Sharks:
Tries: John Smit, Du Toit, Van Rensburg
Coins: Du Toit 2, Kruger
Pen: Du Toit
Teams:
Western Province: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, De Wet Barry, Braam van Straaten, Pieter Rossouw, Chris Rossouw (Werner Greeff), Neil de Kock (Bolla Conradie), Bob Skinstad, Hendrik Gerber (Robbie Brink), Corné Krige (captain), Hottie Louw, Quinton Davids (Thys Scholtz), Cobus Visagie (Toks van der Linde), Charl Marais (Pieter Dixon), Robbie Kempson
Sharks: Justin Swart (Herkie Kruger), Deon Kayser, André Snyman (Rodger Smith), Trevor Halstead, Stefan Terblanche, Gaffie du Toit, Craig Davidson (David von Hoesslin), Shaun Sowerby, AJ Venter, Warren Britz, Philip Smit, Albert van den Berg, Etienne Fynn (Deon Carstens), John Smit (Lukas van Biljon), Ollie le Roux
Referee: André Watson
Sharks vs Western Province, 31-10 in Durban on 30 October 2010
The Sharks' front row and a new star on the horizon produced this, a remarkably one-sided Currie Cup Final. The new star was Patrick Lambie who scored 25 points, surpassing the 24 of Naas Botha and Braam van Straaten, second only to the 26 of Derick Hougaard.
Scorers:
For Sharks:
Tries: Lambie 2, McLeod
Cons: Lambie 3
Pens: Lambie 3
For Western Province:
Try: Schalk Burger
Con: Willem de Waal
Pen: Willem de Waal
Teams
Sharks: Louis Ludik (André Pretorius), Odwa Ndungane, Stefan Terblanche (captain), Andries Strauss (Rian Swanepoel), Lwazi Mvovo, Patrick Lambie, Charl McLeod (Rory Kockott), Ryan Kankowski, Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel, Alistair Hargreaves (Jacques Botes), Steven Sykes (Anton Bresler), Jannie du Plessis (Eugene van Staden), Bismarck du Plessis (Craig Burden), Tendai Mtawarira
Western Province: Conrad Jantjes, Gio Aplon, Juan de Jongh (Paul Bosch) (Lionel Cronjé), Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Willem de Waal, Enrico Januarie (Dewaldt Duvenage), Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger (captain), Anton van Zyl, Adriaan Fondse (De Kock Steenkamp), Brok Harris, Deon Fourie, JD Möller's (JC Kritzinger)
Referee: Craig Joubert
Of the players who played in 2010, 20 are down to play again in 2012 – 13 for the Sharks and seven for Western Province.
