Currie Cup Preview: Round Seven

 

It all starts with some neighbourly rivalry in Gauteng as the Lions host the Pumas at Ellis Park. It will be a hostile welcome no doubt for some of the Pumas players who played for the Lions in the Super Rugby season.

 

Western Province will be hosting the Griquas in the early game on Saturday with one team coming of a morale-boosting win and the other slumping to their first defeat – both will be anxious to get the win on Saturday.

 

The Bulls, who are slowly gathering momentum, play out a rather large derby against rivals the Sharks in Pretoria and for the men from Durban, it is getting desperate after two losses and a draw most recently.

 

The Kings and the Cheetahs have had their game moved to 15.00 on Saturday and for Carlos Spencer and his charges the question has to be – when will the luck change? Meanwhile the Cheetahs have been picking up points here and there with a few wins and a draw.

 

 

 

The Golden Lions will be hunting their fourth home win of the season against the Pumas at Ellis Park, and should they succeed in this mission, they will keep their unbeaten record at home intact.

 

But they are expected to face tough competition from the Nelspruit team, who trail them by only one log point, and who are desperate to bounce back from their defeat against Griquas last week.

 

The visitors will be wary of the Golden Lions’ impressive attack, in particular, which has earned them 26 tries in six matches and four bonus points. 

 

But with the Pumas having conceded only 12 tries in their six matches, they will back themselves to shut out the Johannesburg team. 

 

History, however, favours the hosts as they have suffered only two defeats against the Pumas since 1996.

 

Lions coach Johan Ackermann proved his faith in the team that toppled Western Province and made only one enforced change to his starting team with lock Martin Muller replacing the injured Luvuyiso Lusaseni.

 

Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse also made only one change to his starting team with scrumhalf Dylon Frylinck returning from injury, which forced Reynier van Rooyen to the bench.

 

The opposing camps will need to spread the ball wide and the battle between the two packs is predicted to be the deciding factor.

 

"We like to keep the ball up front and we shift the ball wide when we feel comfortable to do so," Stonehouse said.

 

"We will have to put pressure on the Lions in the lineouts and try to keep the ball among the forwards. We have a pack of forwards who can dominate while they have a pack that plays wide."

 

Ackermann remained cautious of the Currie Cup rookies and believed last weekend's result was not a true reflection of their abilities.

 

"The Pumas are a well-balanced side and that is why they are the surprise this season.

 

"Their forwards give them good possession and their backline has Super Rugby experience with the X-factor of someone like Rosco Speckman," he said.

 

Prediction: The performance the Lions put up against Western Province was some of the best rugby that has been seen all competition, it looked like a brand-new brand of running, attacking, offloading rugby and if the Lions can hit the same strides again against the Pumas it could be a bust night for the men from Nelspruit. That being said, the Pumas are one of the hardest teams to dictate too, more often than not it is their abrasive forwards who set the tone. Expect a closer match than many are expecting, but the Lions should take it by five at fortress Ellis Park.

 

 

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe (captain), 12 Nicolaas Hanekom, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ricky Schroeder, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Albertus Smith, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Schalk van der Merwe.

Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx/ Willie Wepener, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Derick Minnie, 20 Warwick Tecklenburg, 21 Mark Richards, 22 Howard Mnisi.

 

Pumas: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 Jerome Pretorius, 13 Jacobus Jonker, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Rosco Speckman, 10 Justin van Staden, 9 Dylon Frylinck, 8 Renaldo Bothma, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Corne Steenkamp (captain), 5 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 4 Frikkie Spies, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Francois du Toit, 1 Corne Fourie.

Replacements: 16 Frankie Herne, 17 DeJay Terblanche, 18 Marius Coetzer, 19 Jaco Bouwer, 20 Reynier van Rooyen, 21 Juan-Claude Roos, 22 John-Wessel Bell.

 

Referee: Jaco van Heerden

Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Stefan Breytenbach

TMO: Willie Vos

 

 

Western Province will be determined to maintain their unbeaten record at home and simultaneously hold onto their lead at the top of the log when they line up against Griquas at Newlands on Saturday.

 

But they will be careful to write off the visitors, who are languishing at the bottom-end of the log, especially after their upset against the Pumas last week.

 

The Cape side will place a big emphasis on good discipline in particular after Griquas fullback Gouws Prinsloo kicked eight penalties last week to guide his team to victory.

 

But the visitors will have to tighten up their defence to keep alive hopes of registering a rare win in Cape Town as the log-leaders have scored the second highest number of tries so far in the competition. 

 

Province coach Allister Coetzee made several changes to his team with the most significant being Springbok Sevens star Justin Geduld and flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe earning their first starts at wing and flank respectively, while replacement prop Oliver Kebble could make his debut off the bench.

 

Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, prop Brok Harris and hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni were also promoted to the starting team. 

 

Griquas coach Hawies Fourie made three changes to his starting team with Maks van Dyk starting at prop, while lock Hugo Kloppers earns his first start and loose forward Burger Schoeman is promoted from the bench to the starting team.

 

Commenting on the selections, Coetzee stated it was more than he had hoped to make but was excited by what the new guys could bring.

 

"Justin [Geduld] showed a lot of know-how as an outside back and also his left boot can give similar option as Gio [Aplon] did when it's needed."

 

"There is also a good opportunity to bring Oliver [Kebble] in, everyone knows his strength and we are excited to see how he goes,.

 

"He is a strong ball carrier, strong scrummager and him coming off bench in second half would help the cause."

 

"Kurt [Coleman] will get time off bench as is part of the rotation policy, everyone gets enough time to be sharpened up going forward in competition.

 

"The competition is tough and you have to fight to get position back."

 

Prediction: Western Province may have gone down to the Lions over the weekend but they showed some incredible class to make it a mere two point game when the Lions were running rampant. The men from the Cape have got a solid side and a solid game plan that balances attack and defence well and when they are on song, they are very hard to slow down. The Griquas may have recorded a good victory against the Pumas, but despite what is being said about the Nelspruit team, they are still minnows and as such it may be a stretch to far to see Griquas walk away with another win – especially away from home. Province by 10+.

 

 

Western Province: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Justin Geduld, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak.

Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Rohan Kitshoff, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Kurt Coleman.

 

Griquas: 15 Gouws Prinsloo, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Jonathan Francke, 12 Gideon la Grange, 11 Petrus Vermeulen, 10 Francois Brummer (captain), 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Burger Schoeman, 7 Ruaan Lerm, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 Steph Roberts.

Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Janro van Niekerk, 18 Jonathan Adendorf, 19 Carel Greeff, 20 Abrie Griesel, 21 Dean Grant, 22 Danie Dames.

 

Referee: Lesego Legoete

Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Marc van Zyl

TMO: Shaun Veldsman

 

 

Cheetahs scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius will join a select group of players in South African rugby to reach the magical milestone of 100 Currie Cup matches on Saturday in their clash against the EP Kings.

 

Pretorius made his debut for the Falcons in 2006 and played in 18 matches before moving to Kimberley where he represented Griquas in 53 matches. 

 

The star play-maker then made the move to Bloemfontein in 2012 and racked up a further 28 Currie Cup caps. 

 

This will mark his 100th match and his team will be hoping to mark the occasion with a possible bonus-point victory in the hope of forcing their way into the top four on the log standings. 

 

In Port Elizabeth the Kings will be hunting their first victory, while the Free State Cheetahs will have their sights set on possibly improving or maintaining their log position for a possible semifinal berth. 

 

The Bloemfontein team will undoubtedly draw confidence from their last-gasp 30-30 draw against the Sharks last week, but with only four pool rounds remaining, the hosts will be desperate to finish their season on a high note.

 

Solid defence, in particular, will be vital for the Kings, as the Free State side have several play-makers in their backline, including Pretorius, meaning they will have to defend like demons.

 

The last time the teams met in the competition was in 2001 in Bloemfontein and the Free State side won 75-21.

 

Kings coach Carlos Spencer also made a handful of changes due to player rotation and injury. 

 

These changes included the selection of debutante hooker Martin Ferreira, flank Darron Nell and wing Siyanda Grey, while Siviwe Soyizwapi will start at fullback. 

 

Free State Cheetahs coach Rory Duncan recalled exciting backs Clayton Blommetjies and wing Raymond Rhule following injuries in the only two changes to his starting team. 

 

Prediction: The Cheetahs, like many teams had a slow start to the tournament, but as it has progressed they have found their feet and straightened out their game plan. The Kings on the other hand have looked lost from the outset, a team that cannot string together an 80 minute performance. They have struggled with cohesion and the overhaul in selection this week will be more of a hindrance than a help you would feel. Expect a Cheetahs victory by at least eight points.

 

 

Eastern Province Kings: 15 Siviwe Soyizwapi, 14 Siyanda Grey, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Shane Gates, 11 Ntabeni Dukisa, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Paul Schoeman, 7 Devin Oosthuizen, 6 Shaun McDonald, 5 Darron Nell, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.

Replacements: 16 Albe de Swardt, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Steven Cummins, 19 Stefan Willemse, 20 Tobie Botes, 21 Dwayne Jenner, 22 Scott van Breda.

 

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Phillipus du Plessis, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Pieter Labuschagne, 7 Neil Claassen, 6 Tienie Burger, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Henco Venter, 3 George Marich, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld (captain), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.

Replacements: 16 Abraham le Roux, 17 Dolph Botha, 18 Brendon Groenewald, 19 Vincent Jobo, 20 Shaun Venter, 21 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 22 Adriaan Coertzen.

 

Referee: Marius Jonker

Assistant referees: Jaco Pretorius, Fernando Uithaler

 

 

The clash in Pretoria is expected to be hard-fought given the determination in both camps to find their rhythm in the competition with an eye on securing semifinal places.

 

The Sharks showed their fighting spirit last week by putting up a good fight against the Free State Cheetahs, but the Blue Bulls come off back-to-back victories and will look to build on this at home.

 

Adding spice to the match, a place in the top four on the log could be at stake, as the Durban side has only a narrow two-point lead over the sixth-placed Blue Bulls.

 

With the teams closely matched on attack with 14 tries a piece in their six matches, it could prove to be a nail-biting encounter. 

 

Interestingly the home team won only two of their last 10 matches against the Sharks in the series, however, these victories were at home.

 

No.8 Jono Ross will lead the Blue Bulls in the absence of suspended captain Deon Stegmann in a run-on team that features four changes with Wiaan Liebenberg, Callie Visagie, Sampie Mastriet and Rudy Paige earning starting berths.

 

The Sharks, meanwhile, named a new-look backline with Springbok wing Lwazi Mvovo and Sibusiso Sithole starting at wing and Paul Jordaan and Andre Esterhuizen respectively featuring in a strong midfield combination.

 

Among the forwards lock JC Astle returns from injury to partner Marco Wentzel in the engine room. 

 

Ahead of the match, Sharks head coach, Brad Macleod-Henderson said: "There were plenty of positives for us to take away from the draw against the Free State Cheetahs and the team will definitely be looking to build on that momentum going in to the Blue Bulls match.

 

"They are on a winning streak and are a difficult prospect at home."

 

"Loftus is always a tough place to go. But we’re looking forward to the challenge.

 

"We know the Blue Bulls have a big pack of forwards and a good kicking game, so we need to make sure that we match that and take our opportunities. 

 

"They are enjoying a good run of form; they’ve always had a very formidable home record, so we know it’s going to be a huge challenge." 

 

Bulls coach Ludeke said it was too early to look at play-off permutations.

 

“We can only run our own race week after week and that will ultimately determine our fate.

 

"If we keep on winning and get the right result in the remaining weeks, I am sure we will be in the top four, but we cannot afford to look past this weekend’s match.

 

Prediction: One of the newer derbies in South African Rugby, but one that is always hotly contested. The Sharks have been mediocre at best this season with no real passion or flair emerging while the Bulls have been slow starters – they are looking more of a threat now. Expect the home turf to be of monumental importance as the Sharks continue to slump – Bulls by seven.

 

 

Blue Bulls: 15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling. 

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Morné Mellett, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Jesse Kriel.

 

Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Conrad Hoffmann, 8 Lubabalo Mtembu (captain), 7 Etienne Oosthuizen, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 JC Astle, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Dale Chadwick.

Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Johan Meyer, 19 Khaya Majola, 20 Cameron Wright, 21 Tim Swiel, 22 Tonderai Chavhanga.

 

Referee: Quinton Immelman

Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Cobus Wessels

TMO: Johan Greeff