Currie Cup, Round Five - teams and predictions

CRUNCH TIME: It might only be Round Five of 14, but for a few of the teams another defeat will be a massive blow to their play-off dreams.

The winless Lions and the Pumas, second from the bottom just ahead of the Lions, get a chance this weekend to get their campaigns back on track.

Both their coaches spoke of the importance of ‘winning’.

Western Province, another team involved in the basement battle, has a bye.

The match of the weekend, no doubt, is in Bloemfontein – where the second-placed Cheetahs will start as firm favourites against the Lions – a franchise yet to register a win this year in any competition.

Coach Mziwakhe Nkosi believes his team will benefit from the inclusion of a number of experienced campaigners in the backline – with Tiaan Swanepoel (fullback), Sibahle Maxwane (right wing) and Fred Zeilinga (flyhalf) expected to add some calmness to a very young and inexperienced squad.

He admitted there is plenty at stake for his team.

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“We see this as an opportunity to turn our season around,” he told @rugby365com, adding: “The odds are stacked against us.”

He spoke of the need to “cut down errors” and ensure they are “more clinical” in their execution.

Captain Asenathi Ntlabakanye said the Lions can’t afford to give a dangerous Cheetahs team a head start, as they have done in a number of matches already this year.

“Let’s not wait to the last 15 or 20 minutes to start playing,” the skipper said.

“We need to ‘bring it’ from the opening minute.”

Cheetahs captain Ruan Pienaar said he is not reading too much into the Lions’ poor form and believes they have it in them to cause an upset.

“They play a similar brand of rugby than what we do,” Pienaar told @rugby365com, adding: “They are difficult off turnovers, so we are in for a tough test.”

Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie said they have spoken a lot about the “winning habit”, but felt his team still hasn’t hit its straps.

“We have worked mainly on our attack and I am looking forward to seeing the performance on Saturday,” he said.

“We must keep the momentum, build that winning habit and work to get to the top of the standings. That will be important when the play-offs come around.”

* The drama starts with the table-topping Sharks in a tricky away assignment against the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.

Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse told @rugby365com that they are in desperate need of a good win.

Their only success this season was a 50-9 thrashing of the hapless Lions back in mid-January.

Losses to Griquas (20-41) in Kimberley and Cheetahs (17-28) in Nelspruit have left them trailing the pace-setters and visitors to the Mbombela Stadium on Friday, the Sharks, by nine points.

“The Sharks are a powerful team, loaded with players who have United Rugby Championship experience,” Stonehouse said.

“They brought in players like [Springbok training squad member Sanele] Nohamba and [wing Yaw] Penxe. You look at the pack, with [former Pumas stalwart] Le Roux Roets – then you realise they are targeting dominance in the set pieces.

“We will have to stand up to them in the set pieces and we will have to be more clinical than we were against the Cheetahs a fortnight ago.

“Individual errors cost us dearly.

“We also beefed up our bench a bit, as the replacements let us down a bit in the last two outings.”

Sharks assistant coach Jon-Paul Pietersen said the threat posed by the home team resulted in them adding some “experience” to the Currie Cup matchday squad.

“We will need some composure against the Pumas,” he told a pre-match media briefing.

“It is never easy in Nelspruit, while the Pumas have not had the best of starts to the season.

“Jimmy [Stonehouse] is the one guy that can get them pumped up and they will come out firing on Friday.

“It is going to be a very physical game.”

* The other Round Five encounter pits the defending-champion Bulls against a dangerous Griquas outfit in Kimberley on Saturday.

Bulls assistant coach Edgar Marutlulle is aware of the dangers the home team pose in their own backyard.

“Griquas are always a ‘giant-killer’ in this competition,” he told a pre-match media briefing.

“They are a side that is well-known for causing upsets.

“So that is why preparations this week has been on point.

“We have not wasted a minute being complaisant in any way. We’ve taken them as an opposition and given them a proper preparation for the game.”

Griquas coach Pieter Bergh spoke of the importance of “continuity” and believes it will serve them well when the Bulls arrive at Griqua Park.

He added that, with the Bulls not having played for a month, it could play into the hands of a settled home team.

“Jake White [the Bulls’ Director of Rugby] has been quite vocal about how important the Currie Cup is for them, wanting to win it for a third successive season, so we expect a very strong side to come to Kimberley,” Bergh told @rugby365com.

He said it is important that they maintain that aura of being a tough team to beat at home.

“If you win all your home games, it puts you in a great position in the away games. It gives you confidence and takes the pressure off you on the road.

“It may be a cliche, but we want to make our home ground a fortress. People are vocal about playing in Kimberley and hopefully, it plays on the mind of the players who haven’t played here before.”

* All the Round Five teams and predictions below …

Friday, March 4

Pumas v Sharks
(Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit – Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Pumas by five points

Teams

Pumas: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Alwayno Visagie, 12 Eddie Fouche, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Lucky Dlepu, 8 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 7 Anele Lungisa, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Shane Kirkwood, 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Simon Raw, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Ruan Kramer.
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Ignatius Prinsloo, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Phumzile Maqondwana, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Devon Williams, 23 Ali Mgijima.

Sharks: 15 Inny-Christian Radebe, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Murray Koster, 11 Marnus Potgieter, 10 Henry Chamberlain, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Celimpilo Gumede, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 James Venter (captain), 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Le Roux Roets, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Fezokuhle Mbatha, 1 Dian Bleuler.
Replacements: 16 Dan Jooste, 17 Khwezi Mona, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Olajuwon Noa, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Jordan Chait, 23 Curwin Gertse.

Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira, Local
TMO: Marius Jonker

Saturday, March 5

Griquas v Bulls
(Griqua Stadium, Kimberley – Kick-off: 14.30; 12.30 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Bulls by 12 points

Teams

Griquas: 15 Rynhardt Jonker, 14 Munier Hartzenberg, 13 Christopher Hollis, 12 Alex-Zander du Plessis, 11 Luther Obi, 10 Theo Boshoff, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Sibabalo Qoma, 7 Hanru Sirgel, 6 Niel Otto (captain), 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Mzwanele Zito, 3 Janu Botha, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids.
Replacements: 16 Gustav du Rand, 17 Kudzwai Dube, 18 Andries Schutte, 19 Johan Retief, 20 Michael Amiras, 21 Raegan Oranje, 22 Andre Swarts, 23 Sango Xamlashe.

Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Richard Kriel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Janko Swanepoel, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima.
Replacements: Schalk Erasmus, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Kowie Roos, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Lionel Mapoe.

Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby, Local
TMO: Egon Seconds

Cheetahs v Lions
(Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 17.00; 15.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Cheetahs by 15 points

Teams

Cheetahs: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Siyabonga Masuku, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Jeandré Rudolph, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Aidon Davis, 3 Marné Coetzee, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Ockie Barnard, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Rewan Kruger, 22 Reinhardt Fortuin, 23 David Brits.

Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 James Mollentze, 12 Tyler Bocks, 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Jurich Claasens, 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Sibusiso Sangweni, 5 Simon Dionisio, 4 Lunga Ncube, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (captain), 2 Pieter Botha, 1 Jean-Pierre Smith.
Replacements: 16 Dameon Venter, 17 Banele Mthenjane, 18 Chergin Fillies, 19 Izan Esterhuizen, 20 MJ Pelser, 21 Ginter Smuts, 22 James Tedder, 23 Luke Rossouw.

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira, Local
TMO: Ben Crouse

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