Currie Cup, Round Three - teams and predictions
CRUNCH TIME: There may still be five rounds, including this week, remaining. However, this could be season-defining for some teams.
While teams like the table-topping Bulls and second-placed Sharks have room to manoeuvre, the chasing pack – Stormers, Lions and Cheetahs – are in perilous positions.
Western Province coach John Dobson suggested not even the Sharks are safe.
“The Bulls have bolted,” Dobson told a virtual media briefing – with the Pretoria outing having an eight-point lead at the top of the standings.
“However, the reality of this competitions is there are five teams [including the Bulls] playing for four spots,” with the Pumas and Griquas already in the also-rans category.
“When you play against those [top five] teams, those are big swings.
“We dropped three points last week [getting only a losing bonus point from the trip to Ellis Park] and the Lions picked up three [with a late penalty winner].
“It makes it a six-point swing.
“If we win all our remaining games, we should get a home semifinal still. It includes the Cheetahs and the Sharks.”
Bulls coach Jake White was less willing to admit that his team was safe, suggesting the Sharks could still haul them in at the top of the table.
“They have developed a lot,” he said of his team’s 41-14 hammering of the Sharks in Pretoria back in October.
“We are looking forward to the game – No.1 [on the standings] playing No.2.
“It is how you get measured and hopefully we can again be on the right side of the result.”
We look at all the Round Three matches below the video!
Friday, December 11
Western Province v Pumas
(Newlands, Cape Town – Kick-off: 19.00; 17.00 GMT)
Western Province will be well aware of the threat posed by an unpredictable Pumas team, after they required a come-from-behind win in Nelspruit in the Unlocked half of the season.
Memories of that last-gasp try, three minutes before the final hooter, to win when the sides met in October will drive a WP team looking for their first Currie Cup win of the season.
“It is a short week for us,” Dobson said of having played – and lost – against the Lions this past Saturday and now featuring in a Friday game.
However, it affords them a chance to fix the mistakes that cost them in their last two games – against the Bulls and Lions.
“We can’t wait to get out there at Newlands and put together an 80-minute performance,” Dobson said.
“We are looking forward to seeing what the players coming in can add as we target an accurate display on Friday,” he added.
The Province coach said it was the Pumas’ kicking game that hurt them in that 42-37 squeaker in Nelspruit.
“Since then they have been quite dynamic in the way they run.
“I am not sure how they are going to come at us.
“However, given the success they had last time, we are expecting them to put pressure on us with their kicking game.
“They are a really resilient team. They have stayed in many fights this year, notably at Loftus Versfeld [a 5-21 loss to the Bulls] a couple of weeks ago.
“It is going to be a tough game for us.”
Last 10 Currie Cup outings
2010: WP won 62-10, Nelspruit
2011: WP won 24-13, Witbank
2011: WP won 43-18, Cape Town
2014: WP won 37-23, Nelspruit
2015: WP won 50-19, Cape Town
2016: WP won 31-23, Cape Town
2017: WP won 34-19, Cape Town
2017: Pumas win 22-12, Nelspruit
2018: WP won 57-28, Nelspruit
2019: WP won 45-14, Cape Town
Prediction
These two teams have met 23 times in the Currie Cup competition, with Western Province winning 21 of those. The Pumas won in Nelspruit in 2017 and in Cape Town back in 1999.
@rugby365com: Western Province by 15 points
Teams
Western Province: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Michael Haznar, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Tristan Leyds, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 David Meihuizen, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements – from: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Johan du Toit, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Kade Wolhuter, 23 Dan du Plessis, 24 Kwenzo Blose, 25 Marcel Theunissen, 26 Sihle Njezula.
Pumas: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Luther Obi, 13 Erich Cronjé, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Isbell Ruwellyn, 10 Tiaan Botes, 9 Chriswill September, 8 Willie Engelbrecht, 7 Darrien-Lane Landsberg, 6 Daniel Maartens, 5 Pieter Jansen van Vuuren (captain), 4 Le Roux Roets , 3 Ignatius Prinsloo, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Morgan Naude.
Replacements: 16 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 17 Wikus Groenewald, 18 Brandon Valentyn, 19 Edward Potgieter, 20 Ginter Smuts, 21 Devon Williams, 22 Jacob Kleinhans, 23 Liam Hendricks.
Referee: Paul Mente
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Egon Seconds
TMO: Joey Klaaste-Salmans
Saturday, December 12
Cheetahs v Lions
(Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein – Kick-off: 16.30; 14.30)
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen said his team is “excited” about the trip to Bloemfontein, which included a five-hour bus ride on Thursday.
Both teams are well aware of the significance of the result, given they are currently in a tight race for fourth spot (the last play-off place) and it is a repeat of the 2019 Currie Cup Final.
The Lions know they could move into third or even second place – depending on other results – a defeat will be catastrophic for the Cheetahs.
The Lions only have a handful of players that featured in last year’s Final.
“We have some not so good memories from the last game in Bloemfontein,” Van Rooyen said.
“We have played three games in succession now and have some momentum.
“Both sides will be desperate.”
In contrast, the Cheetahs have not had much continuity – with a host of injuries and players departing elsewhere.
Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie spoke about the importance of retaining possession.
“The Lions are dangerous from turnovers and we don’t want to give the extra possession,” Fourie said.
Then there is the added spice of the Super Rugby Unlocked encounter having been called off at the last minute – following the COVID-19 outbreak in the Lions camp.
“We were disappointed, especially with how it happened,” the Cheetahs coach said of the late call (just hours before kick-off).
“We were up for that game and it was the last outing for three of our most valuable players. We wanted to give then a winning send-off.
“Both teams will be desperate to get five points out of the game, given the tight contest between WP, the Lions and ourselves for the third and fourth places on the standings.”
Last 10 Currie Cup outings
2014: Lions won 47-7, Johannesburg
2015: Lions won 73-31, Bloemfontein
2015: Lions won 43-33, Johannesburg
2016: Cheetahs won 37-29, Bloemfontein
2016: Cheetahs won 55-17, Bloemfontein
2017: Cheetahs won 30-24, Bloemfontein
2017: Lions won 44-17, Johannesburg
2018: Lions won 47-14, Johannesburg
2019:: Lions won 24-22, Bloemfontein
2019: Cheetahs won 31-28, Bloemfontein (Final)
Prediction
They have met 40 times in Currie Cup matches, the last being the Final in Bloemfontein last year. The Cheetahs have won 21 times, the Lions 17 and there were two draws. The Lions have won six times in Bloemfontein, the last one a 24-22 squeaker in the league stages last year.
@rugby365com: The Lions by five points
Teams
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Howard Mnisi, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Aidon Davis, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Carl Wegner (captain), 4 Ian Groenewald, 3 Khutha Mchunu, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Cameron Dawson, 18 Erich de Jager, 19 Reniel Hugo, 20 Victor Sekekete, 21 Ruben de Haas, 22 Reinhardt Fortuin, 23 Dries Swanepoel.
Lions: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Stean Pienaar, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies (captain), 9 André Warner, 8 Len Massyn, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Willem Alberts, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Ruan Dreyer, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Manuel Rass, 23 Roelof Smit.
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs and Griffon Colby
TMO: Jaco Peyper
Sharks v Bulls
(Kings Park, Durban – Kick-off: 14.00; 12.00 GMT)
The Bulls are in the position of power. A win will seem them virtually seal their play-off spot and allowed them to rest some key players over the festive season.
However, they will come up against a near full-strength Sharks team – with World Cup-winning Springbok and captain Lukhanyo Am back from a hand injury that sidelined him for several weeks.
Sharks coach Sean Everitt admitted last week’s bye has afforded them the extra time to get some of their big names back on the park.
“It is close to the best team we can select,” Everitt said of the starting XV that will run out against the Bulls in Durban.
“We were convincingly beaten at Loftus Versfeld,” he said of their Unlocked encounter in October.
“We are a lot better at the moment and we have learnt a lot from that outing.”
The game will be decided in the forwards, with Everitt admitting that they have improved significantly in the set-piece department since their loss in Pretoria.
“As always with the Bulls, we feel that we really need to up our game because you have to give them credit for the great rugby they’ve been playing, and it shows,” Sharks tighthead prop Thomas du Toit said.
“We know we need to deliver our best performance if we want to beat these guys, that’s going to be vital.”
Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White also highlighted the forward battle as key to the outcome of the encounter in the Shark Tank.
“The Sharks have gone for a six-[forwards]-two-[backs] bench,” White told a virtual media briefing, adding: “It makes me really proud to see that.
“It means people respect the Bulls’ pack of forwards like they use to in years gone by.”
He added that the Sharks’ tactics are predictable.
“They don’t play any rugby in their half,” White said.
“They kick and give the ball to you. They wait for you to make mistakes.
“It is also going to rain on the weekend, which suits the way they play.
“From my experience, the Bulls like going to Durban, they like playing in Durban.
“The conditions will be as difficult for them as it is for us.
“I know what is coming. They are not going to start running from their own half.
“We just have to be good enough to catch it and then play.”
Last 10 Currie Cup outings
2013: Sharks won 34-18, Durban
2013: Sharks won 18-16, Pretoria
2014: Sharks won 26-15, Pretoria
2015: Bulls won 17-13, Durban
2016: Sharks won 26-19, Durban
2017: Sharks won 28-20, Pretoria
2017: Sharks won 18-5, Durban
2017: Sharks won 37-27, Durban
2018: Sharks won 26-10, Durban
2019: Sharks won 48-40, Pretoria
Prediction
The Bulls’ overall record is far superior to that of the Sharks – winning 24 of their 39 Currie Cup encounters, with 14 wins to the Sharks and one draw. However, the Bulls have only won once in their last 12 Currie Cup encounters – the Pretoria team’s only win in that stretch coming in Durban in 2015.
@rugby365com: Sharks by seven points
Teams
Sharks: 15 Manie Libbok, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 12 Marius Louw, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Sanele Nohamba, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Henco Venter, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Dan Jooste, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche.
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Mzamo Majola, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Phepsi Buthelezi, 22 Jaden Hendrikse, 23 Jeremy Ward.
Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Marnus Potgieter, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Aimee Barrett-Theron
TMO: Marius Jonker
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* Statistics provided by Eddie Grieb
