Team of the Week: Jukskei rivals rule

We have a much wider spread than usual in our famous weekly selection, but two teams still dominate.

The defending champion Golden Lions and Blue Bulls both came back from losses the previous week to post important wins, the Bulls knocking over the previously unbeaten and table-topping Sharks.

They are duly rewarded with five members each in our starting XV. The Free State Cheetahs, the other winning team, have three members in our frontline selection, while Western Province and Griquas (one each) make up the numbers.

Further evidence of the Bulls' fine form in Round Three can be found in our back-up squad, where they have five members – followed by four Sharks, two each from the Cheetahs and Lions, while WP and Griquas again provide one each.

Five players return from last week – fullback Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), who was at No.8 last week and make it as a flank this week, lock Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions) and prop JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).

Team of the Week – Round Three:

15 – Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions):

He showed some promise at Super Rugby level, but is really thriving in the less pressurised Currie Cup arena.

Bubbling under: Louis Ludik (Sharks)

14 – Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls):

He just shaded his twin brother.

Bubbling under: Odwa Ndungane (Sharks)

13 – Johann Sadie (Blue Bulls):

He relished the opportunity to start and show why the Bulls rated him so highly when they lured him away from Cape Town.

Bubbling under: Juan de Jongh (Western Province)

12 – Butch James (Golden Lions):

The Bok hard man, although not his preferred position, again showed his true match-winning qualities at inside centre. And not too many province players bothered to run at that channel … wonder why?

Bubbling under: Marius Joubert (Sharks)

11 – Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls):

Another player who used the Varsity Cup to propel himself into the big time and now he performs on the Currie Cup stage.

Bubbling under: Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs)

10 – Elton Jantjies (Golden Lions):

This was a tough call, given that both Jantjies and Louis Fouché produced sublime displays of how to control and win a match with the boot.

Bubbling under: Louis Fouché (Blue Bulls)

9 – Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs):

Super Sarel … he was so underused by the Waratahs, and he is beginning to develop a kicking game … okay, just a hint of one.

Bubbling under: Charl McLeod (Sharks)

8 – Duane Vermeulen (Western Province):

The one WP forward that matches the Lions' all-action game.

Bubbling under: Dewald Potgieter (Blue Bulls)

7 – CJ Stander (Blue Bulls):

He is certainly making a statement about his talents and what the Bulls will lose when he departs to Irish province Munster at the end of the year.

Bubbling under: Josh Strauss (Golden Lions)

6 – Frans Viljoen (Free State Cheetahs):

Injuries may have curtailed his career, but when he is fit he is a vital member of the Cheetahs' setup.

Bubbling under: Cobus Grobbelaar (Golden Lions)

5 – Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions):

He is beginning to regain the form that once put him in the Bok selection frame.

Bubbling under: Grant Hattingh (Blue Bulls)

4 – Rynhard Landman (Griquas):

Another lock who was floating around in anonymity till he moved to Kimberley and then suddenly made people sit up and take notice. Anyone remembers a certain Victor Matfield.

Bubbling under: Andries Ferreira (Free State Cheetahs)

3 – Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs):

With the opportunity to start regularly, he is beginning to fulfil the promise he showed at schoolboy level already.

Bubbling under: Werner Kruger (Blue Bulls)

2 – Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls):

Another player benefiting from starting in the Currie Cup competition, after a Super Rugby season of keeping the bench warm.

Bubbling under: Ryno Barnes (Griquas)

1 – JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions):

Like a captain should, he was leading from the front.

Bubbling under: Dawie Steyn (Blue Bulls)

Our individual selections!

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Butch James, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Quintin van Jaarsveld XV: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Marius Joubert, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Monde Hadebe, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Leonard Kaplan XV: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Butch James, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Dawie Steyn.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Butch James, 11 Clayton Blommetjies, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Dewald Potgieter, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Rynhard Landman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.

Previous selections:

Team of the Week – Round Two: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Marcel Brache (Western Province), 11  S'bura Sithole (Sharks), 10 Riaan Viljoen (Sharks), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), 7 Jean Deysel (Sharks), 6 Wesley Wilkins (Griquas), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 4 Andries Ferreira (Free State Cheetahs), 3 Jacobie Adriaanse (Golden Lions), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).

Team of the Week – Round One: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Waylon Murray (Golden Lions), 11 Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs), 10 Butch James (Golden Lions), 9 Cobus Reinach (Sharks), 8 Derick Minnie (Golden Lions), 7 Arno Botha (Blue Bulls), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Golden Lions), 5 Martin Muller (Griquas), 4 Hendrik Roodt (Golden Lions), 3 Lourens Adriaanse (Griquas), 2 Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).