Kickers the key to Club Champs glory?

Goalkickers look set to play a major role in the semifinals of the 2009 SAA National Club Champs, which resumes at the LC de Villiers stadium on the University of Pretoria’s sport campus on Thursday.

Apart from some superb running rugby, the tournament has featured some top-class goalkicking displays by a number of players – and going by their match-winning points-scoring hauls on Tuesday, it is the kickers who hold the key to which teams will progress through to Saturday’s final, to be played at Loftus Versfeld at 1pm.

Defending champions NWU-Pukke will play Springs and 2008 finalists College Rovers will face WP champions Hamilton’s after a day of drama in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

Pukke won through to the Last Four with a hard-fought 44-34 win over determined Boland champs Rawsonville, whilst Valke champions Springs overwhelmed Border’s Buffalo 51-19.

KZN champions College Rovers beat Eastern Province champions Park 52-22, while Hamilton’s scored 25 unanswered points in coming from behind to beat Golden Lions champions Pirates 39-27.

On the kicking front, Rovers’ flyhalf Dauw Steyn was on target with six conversions in his team’s victory over Park.

Steyn’s upcoming goalkicking opponent on Thursday, scrumhalf Dustin Jinka of Hamilton, scored 29 of his side’s 39 points through a try, three conversions and six penalties – of which two were from 55 metres.

Springs flyhalf Ashley Buchler – one of the players of the tournament so far – kicked two penalties, six conversions and a drop-goal for a personal haul of 21 points in his team’s victory over Buffalo.

Pukke fullback Theuns Kotze was not to be outdone, however, kicking two conversions and a penalty to go with his two tries against Rawsonville.

Of course, the Men from Potchefstroom – aiming to defend their Club Champs title successfully for the first time ever – can also fall back on the goalkicking skills of the Leopards’ Currie Cup No.10 Cecil Dumond (pictured, top right).

Dumond helped his team into the 2009 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International Final, scoring 68 points in the tournament and ending joint second on the overall points-scoring table in the process.

Both semifinals will be broadcast live on SuperSport One and CSN.

Fixtures for Thursday, September 24:

Premier semifinals (at the LC de Villiers stadium):
College Rovers (KZN) v Hamilton (WP), 4pm
NWU-Pukke (Leopards) v Springs (Valke), 6pm

Plate semifinals (at the LC de Villiers stadium):
Shimlas (Free State) v Kuruman (Griqualand West), 1pm
Great Brak River (SWD) v Pretoria Police (Blue Bulls), 2.30pm