Hot property in the Currie Cup

The Currie Cup is done and dusted for another year and despite the lack of Springbok stars there is plenty to applaud as we hand out our prestigious awards.

In a year which was dominated by the World Cup many were worried that the Currie Cup would fade into obscurity, but the sight of a sold-out Coca-Cola Park in the Final proved that South Africa’s premier domestic rugby competition is alive and kicking.

Without many Springbok stars around plenty of promising young players got the opportunity to step up to the next level this year and there were more than enough encouraging performances to confirm that the talent pool in South Africa is as full as ever.

This season represented a massive opportunity for players and coaches to prove that they have what it takes and watching them have a go at it made for fascinating viewing.

Here are our Currie Cup awards:

Best team – The Lions
The eventual champions had the advantage of having the majority of their Super Rugby squad available for the Currie Cup and they certainly made it count. The Men from Johannesburg ferociously protected their spot at the top of the table all season by managing to prevail in the tight games and were only beaten three times. They clearly benefited from the continuity they enjoyed and the confidence that created was plain to see in their play-off matches when they saw off both of last year’s finalists with all of their Springbok stars back from World Cup duty.

Best Player – Jaco Taute
Although players such as Elton Jantjies, Coenie Oosthuizen, Franco van der Merwe and Johan Goosen all made a major impression this year with the consistently high standard of their performances it is tough to look past the Lions fullback who set the competition alight with his boundless enthusiasm and energy. He made a devastating impact every time he joined the line and managed to produce the goods when the pressure was on, scoring tries in both the semifinal and Final, proving that he has a big future ahead of him.

Best coach – John Mitchell
The hard-nosed Kiwi managed to mould his group of young Lions into a disciplined unit that played with plenty of heart all season and eventually ended up proving that a good team will beat any list of big names. The work ethic he has instilled in Johannesburg along with the consistency of his selection policy were instrumental factors in their successful season which saw them lift the ultimate prize in South African domestic rugby for the first time in 12 years.

Best match – Cheetahs 25-25 Lions
The thrilling draw between the Cheetahs and the Lions in Bloemfontein was a great advertisement for the game. The Cheetahs were firmly in control in the first half, playing some scintillating rugby at times, but the Lions showed great character to come from behind and leave the game deadlocked at the death. The visitors scored two late tries to bring things back to level terms in the final stages and the result helped secure top spot on the log for the Johannesburg side, allowing them the luxury of resting some of their key players for the last round robin match against the Sharks in Durban.

Best Try – Rocco Jansen
In the opening week of the Currie Cup this season last year’s beaten finalists Western Province hosted the Griquas at Newlands and the two sides finished level thanks to a wonderful try that saw the visitors go the length of the field to score. Right wing Richard Lawson picked up a loose ball on his own tryline and burst down the blindside on a swerving run until he found loose forward Davon Raubenheimer in support. The big flank took the ball infield before looping a pass out to left wing Rocco Jansen who turned on the pace and finished off an amazing 99.9 metre try.

Best try that never was – Piet van Zyl
The Cheetahs launched a fluid, sweeping movement upfield from their own 22 just before half-time in their match against the Lions in Bloemfontein which saw some amazing interplay as they steadily made their way into the strike zone. They looked to keep the ball alive and produced some breathtaking passes as they stormed forward relentlessly. Young scrumhalf Piet van Zyl eventually found himself with the ball just metres short of the line but in the act of placing the ball next to the corner flag he grazed the touchline with the outside of his boot which cruelly denied his team five well-deserved points.

Most improved player – Pat Cilliers
The Lions tighthead revelled in the opportunity to start the majority of his team’s matches this season and his progress was truly remarkable. His confidence clearly grew as the season progressed, culminating in him giving Springbok loosehead and former Sharks teammate Tendai Mtawarira a hard time in the Final.

Most promising player – Johan Goosen
The young Cheetahs and SA Under-20 flyhalf made everyone sit up and take note when he got his chance to strut his stuff at this level. He has an incredibly rounded game, with the ability to run, pass, tackle and kick but what is even more impressive is the confidence with which he does everything. The fact that he forced the impressive Sias Ebersohn onto the bench for the rest of the season once he got his chance against the Leopards speaks for itself.

Thanks for coming – WP and Sharks’ Boks
All of the Springbok players who turned out for Western Province and the Sharks in the semifinal and final held at Coca-Cola Park went home empty handed. All of them would have been desperate to end the season on a high note by salvaging some silverware after their World Cup heartbreak but the hungry Lions had too much momentum and comprehensively outplayed both teams.

If only – The Pumas
The team from Mpumalanga had a tough time of it this season. Despite playing quite well against the major unions they suffered a number of narrow defeats and coach Jimmy Stonehouse’s charges must have been left wondering what could have been after losing by seven points or less in six of their matches.

Samson and Delilah – Joshua Strauss and Wikus van Heerden
The Lions skipper was instantly recognisable all year thanks to his long and flowing beard and developed quite a following with plenty of fans sporting fake facial hair at Lions home games. However that all came to an end after he had lifted the trophy when he was ambushed by teammate Van Heerden who took a chunk out of it with a razor and forced his captain to shave it all off.

What now? – The EP Kings
The Eastern Cape franchise, who will be playing Super Rugby in 2013, voted in favour of the Currie Cup being restructured next season to include only six teams rather than the current eight. That was when they were on top of the first division table, but their season took a bit of a turn and they ended up coming second to the Boland Kavaliers. Where exactly that leaves them at the moment is uncertain, but it would seem that they are currently at tenth on the pecking order.

Sharpshooter – Elton Jantjies
The Lions flyhalf’s accuracy off the kicking tee is well known, but his form in the play-offs this season was simply phenomenal. The young pivot did not miss a single kick at goal in the two knock-out matches in front of his home crowd, slotting 15 kicks as the Lions beat both of last year’s finalists on consecutive weekends.

Most teams in one year award – CJ van der Linde
The versatile front row forward came back to South Africa last year after spending three years with Irish club Leinster and rejoined his old team the Cheetahs who he represented in the 2010 Currie Cup. At the beginning of the year he signed with the Stormers in Cape Town and represented them in Super Rugby. He then earned a call-up to the Springbok World Cup squad, and served largely as a back-up to the first-choice props but before he left for New Zealand he had time to sign for the Lions who he represented in this year’s semifinal and final.

Most unlikely playmaker – Brok Harris
The Western Province tighthead prop has been credited with creating a new position – ‘prop-half’ – although he can be found packing down in the front row at scrum-time he is often found either clearing rucks or taking the ball at first receiver in open play.

Say what? – Hanyani Shimange
The former Springbok hooker got himself a bit muddled in his new role as a commentator when he tried to explain the affect of fatigue on the muscles of a certain player. He was presumably trying to make reference to the build up of lactic acid but instead said that “your legs start lactating” talk about making a tit of yourself.