Currie Cup, Round Nine - teams and predictions

SATURDAY PREVIEW: The tournament pace-setters, the Cheetahs and Pumas, will look to cement the advantage they have over an ever-improving chasing pack.

The table-topping Cheetahs (31 points) host the fifth-placed Western Province (21 points) in a crunch match in Bloemfontein.

The second-placed Pumas (29) are at home to the lowly Griffons (seven points) and looking to bounce back from last week’s humiliating loss to an erratic Lions team.

With the race for semifinal places wide open, the third match on Saturday has the third-placed Sharks (23) travelling to Pretoria to face the seventh-placed Bulls (17) at Loftus Versfeld.

The desultory Lions’ saw their play-off hopes take a heavy beating when Griquas edged them 25-21 at Ellis Park, for the Kimberley outfit to move into fourth place (23 points) and the Johannesburg-based team slipping back into the chasing pack.

It is in Bloemfontein where a lot of the weekend’s focus will be.

Cheetahs defence coach Charl Strydom said WP showed how dangerous they are last week with a 31-7 demolition of a powerful Bulls team last week.

“WP comes up fast on defence and forces you into making mistakes,” he said of what the Cheetahs are expecting on Saturday.

“On the flip side, it does present you with opportunities if you are alert.

“If you are smarty, there are ways around that [defence system employed by province’.”

When the two sides met in a Round Six match in Cape Town back in April, the Cheetahs had to come from behind to edge WP (26-17) – a penalty try two minutes from time settling the match in favour of the Bloemfontein-based outfit.

“They have good players and some great depth,” Strydom said, adding: “With the experience they add to the team – players like Clayton Blommetjies, Juan de Jongh and Jean-Luc du Plessis – and their unpredictability will make it a tough outing.”

Labeeb Levy, WP’s skills coach and performance analyst, said the Cheetahs is one team that doesn’t go away – they keep fighting to the bitter end.

(Article continues below the Levy interview ...)

“If they were playing in the URC, this would have been their URC team,” he said about the quality of the opposition they will face on Saturday.

“They will come hard at us again, after beating us a few weeks ago.”

He said defence will be key on Saturday, especially the different questions the Cheetahs will ask – a team that has a very different skillset.

“They attack differently to the Bulls, who would rather hold the ball than give a poor pass,” Levy said, adding that the Cheetahs look to get offloads in the tackle.

“We will have to tweak our tactics, because they would have seen what we did against the Bulls.

“The intensity they will bring also means we have to stay in the fight longer.”

* Meanwhile the Bulls welcomed back the services of veteran Springbok Marcell Coetzee, as the Pretoria-based outfit prepares to take on the Sharks.

The men in blue also welcome the return of speedster Sibusiso Nkosi and centre Marco Jansen van Vuren.

Nkosi will start at left wing, paired up with Kabelo Mokoena on the right. Van Vuren (outside) will partner with Chris Barend Smit (inside) as the centre combination whilst Juan Mostert will start at fullback.

Izak Burger and Morné Steyn will link up as the halfback combination that will bridge the gap between the backline and the forwards.

Experience up front comes in the form of Jacques van Rooyen (loosehead prop), along with locks Jacques du Plessis and England international Charlie Ewels.

More experience to come off the bench include Lizo Gqoboka and Cornal Hendricks.

The England lock, Ewels, described the standard of the opposition he faced in his first two weeks of Currie Cup action as “ridiculous”.

“The Bulls are competing in two competitions that run at the same time,” he said of the United Rugby Championship side (that faces the Stormers in the quarterfinals in Cape Town on Saturday) and the Currie Cup outfit facing the Sharks in Pretoria on the same day.

“The standard of South African rugby is incredible.

“There are plenty of South Africans in the English Premiership.

“However, the thing that surprised me is how many good young guys there are here [in SA] as well and how many good young guys keep churning through the system.

The Sharks travel to Pretoria in a game that comes at an important juncture in the season.

Last week’s 24-6 success over Griquas at Kings Park made it consecutive victories for the Sharks and Currie Cup coach Joey Mongalo admitted that there were conflicting emotions around a game – where the performance wasn’t quite up to standard, but still produced a pleasing result.

“We hadn’t had back-to-back victories before this, so we’re very thankful for that,” Mongalo said.

“But the guys acknowledged that we didn’t play to our standards – and we set quite high standards for ourselves.

“I almost didn’t recognise us in the first half because it was loose and that’s not us.

“So it was a bit frustrating because we are more structured, but there is the character being shown in this group, and even though we didn’t play well, the scoreboard was still in our favour which means we’re doing something right.”

The Sharks team shows four changes for this week’s outing, Dan Jooste getting a start at hooker, the only player movement amongst the pack, while Tiaan Fourie comes in for Bradley Davids at scrumhalf, Murray Koster takes over from Joshua Jonas at outside centre and Marnus Potgieter’s call-up to the URC team opens the door for the return of Phikolomzi Sobahle on the wing.

* All the Saturday, May 6, teams and predictions follow below …

Pumas v Griffons
(Nelspruit Rugby Club, Nelspruit – Kick-off: 13.00, 11.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Pumas by 18 points

Teams

Pumas: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Stefan Coetzee, 13 Diego Appollis, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Andrew Kota, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Anele Lungisa, 6 Andre Fouche, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Ignatius Prinsloo, 2 Llewellyn Classen, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jacobs, 17 Etienne Janeke, 18 Njabulo Gumede, 19 Jeandre Leonard, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Giovan Snyman, 22 Thinus de Beer, 23 Lundi Msenge.

Griffons: 15 Duren Hoffman, 14 Granwill Matthys, 13 Keanu Vers, 12 Marquit September, 11 Domenic Smit, 10 Jandre de Beer, 9 Richman Gora, 8 Sokuphumla Xakalashe, 7 Thomas Ongera, 6 Ludio Williams, 5 Michael Benadie, 4 Rian Olivier, 3 Neo Mohapi, 2 Hendrik van Schoor, 1 Stephan de Jager.
Replacements – from: 16 Dandre Delport, 17 Xolani Jacobs, 18 Doctor Booysen, 19 Wikus Nieuwenhuis, 20 Curtly Thomas, 21 Thato Mavundla, 22 Jaywinn Juries, 23 Duan Pretorius, 24 Buhle Nojekwa, 25 Chadley Wenn, 26 Randy Fielies.

Referee: Ruhan Meiring
Assistant referees: Local appointments
TMO: Christopher Allison

Cheetahs v Western Province
(Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 13.00; 11.00 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Cheetahs by six points

Teams

Cheetahs: 15 Cohen Jasper, 14 Daniel Kasende, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Reinhardt Fortuin, 11 Munier Hartzenberg, 10 Siyamthanda Masuku, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 George Cronje, 7 Siba Qomo, 6 Gideon van der Merwe, 5 Victor Sekekete (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Nqobisizwe Mxoli, 18 Laurence Victor, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Friedle Olivier, 21 Daniel Maartens, 22 Rewan Kruger, 23 David Brits.

Western Province: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Lloyd Koster, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian Markus, 11 Luke Burger, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis (captain), 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Dylan de Leeuw, 3 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Kwenzo Blose.
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Corne Weilbach, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Louw Nel, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Duncan Saal.

Referee: Paul Mente
Assistant referees: Scottie Olivier and Jason Morrow
TMO: Archie Sehlako

Bulls v Sharks
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – Kick-off: 17.30; 15.30 GMT)

Prediction

@rugby365com: Bulls by five points

Teams

Bulls: 15 Juan Mostert, 14 Kabelo Mokoena, 13 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 12 Chris Barend Smit, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Izak Burger, 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig (captain), 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Lizo Gqoboka, 17 Joe van Zyl, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Merwe Olivier, 20 Mihlali Mosi, 21 Eugene Hare, 22 Cornal Hendricks, 23 Franco Knoetze.

Sharks: 15 Thaakir Abrahams, 14 Phikolomzi Sobahle, 13 Murray Koster, 12 Alwayno Visagie, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Tiaan Fourie, 8 Henco Venter, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Tinotenda Mavesere, 5 Reniel Hugo (captain), 4 Ockie Barnard, 3 Khutha Mchunu, 2 Dan Jooste, 1 Khwezi Mona.
Replacements: 16 Dameon Venter, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Marco de Witt, 20 Damon Royle, 21 Mpilo Gumede, 22 Zee Mkhabela, 23 Fred Zeilinga.

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Local appointments
TMO: Egon Seconds

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