2013 Currie Cup Competition

[lemoen]

I didn't know interviewing the Ref at halftime was a thing. I like

 

[PaarlBok]

I didn't know interviewing the Ref at halftime was a thing. I like

Also thought they eat lemoene at halftime.

Think its another excellent idea by us Saffers. Good to see the refs is actually a human race and give their neutral view of proceedings to the viewers.

Regarding the rugby, thought WP was well on their way losing, then Schalkie and Cat Killer brought new life to them and scraping through. Also good to see Jonker welcome him back to the playing field. As suspected he is still some way from match sharpness but he sure gave it his best shot.

Sharks played really well and I can see Brendon Venter hand in their team. Their youngsters were impressive and so the Brutes. Griquas losing theit coach and you can see they are down and out.

At the moment it look like a two horse race between WP and Sharks for the top spot which will be decide in the last round. All the Bokke will be back, so again its a question of giving them a bit of a break after the 4N and trust the players who brought the team this far or go for top spot.

 

[PaarlBok]

SARugby

The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend cemented their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semifinal spots and set themselves in good stead for home semifinals, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls reignited their semifinal chances.
In a weekend of away wins, the Sharks fought their way to a 31-25 victory against the MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg, DHL Western Province pipped the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 29-27 in Bloemfontein and the Vodacom Blue Bulls thumped GWK Griquas 52-10 in Kimberley.
With these results the Sharks retained the No1 position on the log, while Western Province hung onto second place, although they remain level on 28 points. The Lions are seven points back in third position and the Cheetahs another four points back in fourth place.
The Blue Bulls’ victory, however, allowed them to reduce the gap between themselves and the Cheetahs to one point, meaning the teams could find themselves battling out for a semifinal berth in the last two pool rounds.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 27 (17) DHL Western Province 29 (13)
The clash at the Free State Stadium was nail-biting from the outset as both teams produced a solid performance. This resulted in the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and DHL Western Province being neck-on-neck until the last minute. The home team built up a 17-13 lead in the first half thanks to two tries by fullback Hennie Daniller to only one by Western Province wing Cheslin Kolbe, while both teams slotted over a first-half penalty.
The visitors, however, stepped up their performance in the second half and they did well to win turnovers at the breakdowns, in particular, while their flyhalves Kurt Coleman and Demetri Catrakilis kept the scoreboard running with penalties to cancel out the Cheetahs’ third try. Such was the closeness of the match, a try by Province’s Michael Rhodes and a penalty minutes later by Catrakilis pushed the visitors into a 26-24 lead. Cheetahs’ flyhalf Elgar Watts, however, cancelled this out with a penalty in the 73rd minute for a 27-26 lead. But Catrakilis saved the day for Western Province as he slotted over a drop goal two minutes from time to seal the 29-27 win for the Cape side.
Scorers:
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 27 (17) – Tries: Hennie Daniller (2), Sarel Pretorius. Conversions: Elgar Watts, Riaan Smit (2). Penalties: Watts, Smit.
DHL Western Province 29 (13) – Tries: Cheslin Kolbe, Michael Rhodes. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis, Kurt Coleman. Penalties: Catrakilis, Coleman (3). Drop Goal: Catrakilis.
MTN Golden Lions 25 (20) The Sharks 31 (16)
The Sharks made their presence felt early in the clash at Ellis Park, with talented flyhalf Fred Zeilinga earning his team a 16-3 lead by the 20th minute thanks to two drop goals, a converted try and a penalty for a full-house of points. The Lions, however, clawed their way back into the match in the second quarter and scored two impressive tries by Derick Minnie and Warren Whitely as they opted for a direct approach on attack and dominated the scrums and lineouts. This combined with a two penalties by flyhalf Elton Jantjies allowed the home team to build up a 20-16 lead at the break.
But the tables turned for the hosts in the second half as they lost the ball in contact and conceded breakdown turnovers at will, which disrupted their momentum and allowed the Sharks to get onto the front foot. The Sharks scored two second-half tries to only one by the Lions, while Zeilinga added another penalty and conversion to increase his points tally for the match to 21.
Scorers:
MTN Golden Lions 25 (20) – Tries: Derick Minnie, Jaco Kriel, Warren Whiteley. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (2). Penalties: Jantjies (2).
The Sharks 31 (16) – Tries: Cobus Reinach, Fred Zeilinga, SP Marais. Conversions: Zeilinga (2). Penalties: Zeilinga (2). Drop Goals: Zeilinga (2).
GWK Griquas 10 (10) Vodacom Blue Bulls 52 (15)
In Kimberley the GWK Griquas and Vodacom Blue Bulls both used their forwards to gain an edge in the first half, which resulted in a physical and close opening 40 minutes. The Blue Bulls, however, did well to create try-scoring chances and they capitalised on this by crossing the tryline twice in the first half. Griquas, however, managed to get their hands on the ball late in the half and earned a penalty try for their efforts. The visitors entered the break with a 15-10 lead.
In stark contrast to the first half the Blue Bulls dominated the second half completely and ran circles around the hosts, which allowed them to score another five tries. Blue Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard added to the score by converting four of the tries and kicking three penalties for a personal contribution of 17 points. This victory kept the Blue Bulls in the hunt for a semifinal place, while the defeat for Griquas means they have to win both their matches with bonus points while the Blue Bulls and Free State have to suffer defeats in both their remaining matches to sneak into the semifinals.
Scorers:
GWK Griquas 10 (10) – Tries: Penalty Try. Conversion: Gouws Prinsloo. Penalty: Prinsloo.
Vodacom Blue Bulls 52 (15) – Tries: Jacques du Plessis, Jurgen Visser, Paul Willemse (2), Wiaan Liebenberg, William Small-Smith (2). Conversions: Handre Pollard (4). Penalties: Pollard (3).
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division log:
TEAM

PLAYED​

WON​

LOST​

DREW​

POINTS FOR​

POINTS AGAINST​

POINTS DIFFERENCE​

TRIES FOR​

TRIES AGAINST​

LOSS BONUS​

TRIES BONUS​

POINTS​

Sharks

8​

6​

2​

0​

240​

190​

50​

27​

19​

2​

2​

28​

Western Province

8​

6​

0​

2​

192​

165​

27​

18​

18​

0​

0​

28​

Golden Lions

8​

3​

4​

1​

268​

232​

36​

34​

26​

3​

4​

21​

FS Cheetahs

8​

3​

5​

0​

188​

210​

-22​

22​

22​

3​

2​

17​

Blue Bulls

8​

3​

4​

1​

202​

213​

-11​

22​

25​

0​

2​

16​

Griquas

8​

1​

7​

0​

159​

239​

-80​

13​

26​

5​

1​

10​

Top 10 Point Scorers:
PLAYER
T
C
P
D
PTS
Fred Zeilinga
1
13
11
3
73
Kurt Coleman
0
9
17
0
69
Riaan Smit
2
11
12
0
68
Marnitz Boshoff
2
14
8
0
62
Elton Jantjies
2
11
8
0
56
Nico Scheepers
1
5
12
0
51
Francois Brummer
0
4
10
0
38
Butch James
0
5
9
0
37
Elgar Watts
3
4
4
0
35
Handre Pollard
0
4
7
1
32

 

[PaarlBok]

Schalk Burger on the come back trial
Sport24

More game time for Schalk

2013-09-30 21:00

Schalk Burger (Gallo Images)

Cape Town - Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has said on Monday that he will not be guarding fit-again flank Schalk Burger from injury now that he has made his full return to competitive rugby.

Following Burger's much-anticipated return to action in WP's 29-27 win over the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, Coetzee says that he only intends to give Burger as much game time as possible.

Burger has spent 18 months on the sidelines through injury and his fitness will be scrutinised in the following weeks as he seeks to regain the form which arguably made him one of the best loose forwards in world rugby.

"We’re not going to wrap Schalk in cotton wool - we’re going to go all out with him," Coetzee said on Rugby365's website.

"I believe in his ability and he showed on Friday that despite his long lay-off, he can play at the required intensity for 20 minutes.

"He huffed and puffed at the end of the game but he came through well.

"We know it’s important to manage him, but if we never play him or only play him for 20 minutes, he’s never going to get back to full match fitness.

"Our thinking is sooner rather than later.”

WP tackle the Golden Lions at Newlands on Friday, knowing that by simply avoiding defeat, they will be assured a home semi-final.

 

[PaarlBok]

More good news for WP is that Malherbe, Elstadt & van Aswegen is also back from injuries. Its going to be big decision to make when the Bokke return next week for the final round for battle for top of the log in Durban. Hopefull the Bulls will do us some favours this weekend, so we can give JdV, Etsebeth and Vermeulen a bit of a rest.

 

[PaarlBok]

Big matches this weekend starting tonite when Loftus host the Sharks.
SARugby

The Sharks and DHL Western Province will have home semifinals in sight when they take to the field in the penultimate pool round of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division this weekend.
With the round-robin stages almost at a close The Sharks and Western Province need to win only one of their two remaining matches to ensure that they secure the home semifinals, or alternatively, the MTN Golden Lions have to suffer a defeat.
Further down the log three teams still harbour realistic hopes of finishing in the top four alongside the Sharks and Western Province, which will set the scene for a nail-biting round.
GWK Griquas, meanwhile, are expected to put their bodies on the line in the hope of avoiding the wooden spoon and resultant promotion-relegation playoffs after winning only one of their eight matches so far this season. But with the Vodacom Blue Bulls six points ahead on the log table, Griquas need to win both their matches, while the Blue Bulls have to suffer defeats without bonus points in order to prevent finishing last.
On Friday the Vodacom Blue Bulls host The Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, and in Saturday’s clashes GWK Griquas host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Kimberley and DHL Western Province meet the MTN Golden Lions in Cape Town.
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs The Sharks
In Pretoria, form and history will favour The Sharks, who come off three back-to-back victories and who have won six of the last eight matches between the sides dating back to the 2010 competition. But the Vodacom Blue Bulls also come off a morale-boosting 52-10 victory against Griquas and will be aware of the fact that another defeat could dash their semifinal hopes. The forward battle is expected to take centre stage given the quality of both team’s forwards, however, should the match open up it could be thrilling as they both boast exciting backs. The Blue Bulls, in particular, will have to maintain a similarly high standard on defence to that which they displayed last week and protect their ball in contact to prevent The Sharks from using their impressive attacking skills to dominate proceedings.
Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made three changes to the starting team that thumped Griquas with Springbok wing Bjorn Basson named on the left wing after being released from the national team, while hooker Bongi Mbonambi and prop Frik Kristen replace Bandise Maku and Werner Kruger respectively. Basson’s presence, in particular, will serve as a welcome boost with the team under pressure to win to stake a claim for a semifinal berth. The Sharks, meanwhile, have named veteran looseforwards Jean Deysel and Jacques Botes in their loose trio alongside captain Keegan Daniel, while they welcomed back Springbok flank Marcell Coetzee from the national team and back Louis Ludik from a well-deserved rest. The clash will mark special milestone for Daniel, who will earn his 100th Currie Cup cap, and Botes, who will match Helgard Muller’s record of 142 Currie Cup matches.
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Jurgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, William Small-Smith, Francois Venter, Bjorn Basson, Handré Pollard, Rudy Paige, Jono Ross (c), Jacques du Plessis, Wiaan Liebenberg, David Bulbring, Paul Willemse, Frik Kirsten, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Marcel van der Merwe. Replacements: Bandise Maku, Dean Greyling, Grant Hattingh, Jacques Engelbrecht, Lohan Jacobs, Ulrich Beyers, Sampie Mastriet.
The Sharks: SP Marais; Odwa Ndungane, Tim Whitehead, Heimar Williams, Lwazi Mvovo; Fred Zeilinga, Cobus Reinach; Keegan Daniel (capt), Jean Deysel, Jacques Botes; Stephan Lewies, Peet Marais; Wiehahn Herbst, Kyle Cooper, Dale Chadwick. Replacements: Monde Hadebe, Danie Mienie, Edwin Hewitt, Marcell Coetzee, Charl McLeod, Butch James, Louis Ludik.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: Quinton Immelman, Attie Buitendag
TMO: Deon van Blommestein

GWK Griquas vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs

The Toyota Free State Cheetahs will back themselves to beat GWK Griquas in Kimberley given the team’s recent rise in form, which has guided them to a victory against the Lions and saw them being denied a victory against Western Province last week through a last-minute drop goal. Griquas, meanwhile, will be under immense pressure as they come off a disappointing season and have their backs against the wall. The Kimberley side, in particular, will have to be more disciplined at the breakdowns, while the Cheetahs will look to protect their ball better after conceding a bunch of turnovers at crucial times last week. Griquas’ defence will also have to be solid to prevent the Cheetahs from using their flair on attack and strong forwards, who have a knack at off-loading in the tackle, which has proved effective for them this season.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske made two changes to his side for the clash, with wing Raymond Rhule taking over from the injured Riaan Smit, while lock Francois Uys will start in the engine room alongside Lood de Jager. Griquas coach Pote Human also made a few changes to his team, with prop Nico Pretorius replacing Ewald van der Westhuizen and former Kings lock Dalton Davis replacing Rory Arnold who drops to the bench. The other change is at flank where RJ Liebenberg starts in place of Burger Schoeman.

GWK Griquas: Gouws Prinsloo; Richard Lawson, JP Nel, Howard Mnisi, Rocco Jansen; Francois Brummer, Marnus Hugo; Leon Karemaker, RJ Liebenberg, Marnus Schoeman, Jaco Nepgen, Dalton Davis, Nico Pretorius, Ryno Barnes (capt), Steph Roberts. Replacements: Matthew Dobson, Brummer Badenhorst, Rory Arnold, Patrick O’Brien, Jacques Coetzee, Du Randt Gerber, Jean Stemmet.

Toyota Free State Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Piet Lindeque, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Elgar Watts, Sarel Pretorius, Boom Prinsloo (capt), Lappies Labuschagné, Oupa Mohoje, Lood de Jager, Francois Uys, Trevor Nyakane, Hercu Liebenberg, Schalk van der Merwe. Replacements: AJ le Roux, Rossouw de Klerk, Freddie Ngoza, Philip van der Walt, Piet van Zyl, Willie du Plessis, Joubert Engelbrecht.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant Referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Francois de Bruin
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee with JJ Wagner in training

DHL Western Province vs MTN Golden Lions

The clash in Cape Town is expected to be tight given the high quality of rugby displayed by both teams this season. Interestingly the MTN Golden Lions are the best attacking team in the competition, while DHL Western Province are second-last on the list. But despite this the Cape side have won six of their eight matches this season. With pin-point Western Province goal-kicker Demetri Catrakilis named at flyhalf and equally consistent goal kicker Kurt Coleman on the bench, the Lions will have to remain disciplined to prevent the home team from keeping the scoreboard ticking. The breakdown battle featuring Lions captain and flank Derick Minnie and his WP counterparts Deon Fourie and Schalk Burger, in particular, is expected to be exciting given their ability to play to play to the ball.

Western Province coach Allister Coetzee made four changes to his team for the clash, which features a new starting halfback pairing of scrumhalf Louis Schreuder and flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, while flank Rynhardt Elstadt has recovered from injury and reclaims his place in the loose trio. This resulted in Michael Rhodes moving to lock. Lions coach Johan Ackermann has made two changes to his team, which sees Chris van Zyl start at lock and Warren Whitely start at No8 after recovering from a hip injury.

DHL Western Province: Gio Aplon; Gerhard van den Heever, Michael van der Spuy, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Demetri Catrakilis, Louis Schreuder; Nizaam Carr, Rynhardt Elstadt, Deon Fourie (capt); De Kock Steenkamp, Michael Rhodes; Pat Cilliers, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Frans Malherbe, Brok Harris, Schalk Burger, Josh Katzen, Nic Groom, Kurt Coleman, Ryan Nell.

MTN Golden Lions: Marnitz Boshoff; Andries Coetzee, Deon Helberg, Dylan Des Fountain, Anthony Volmink; Elton Jantjies, Ross Cronje; Warren Whiteley, Derick Minnie (capt), Jaco Kriel; Franco van der Merwe, Chris van Zyl; Ruan Dreyer, Robbie Coetzee, CJ van der Linde. Replacements: Willie Wepener, Jacques van Rooyen, Willie Britz, Warwick Tecklenberg, Guy Cronje, Grant Janke, Ruhan Nel.

Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant Referees: Craig Joubert, Marc van Zyl
TMO: Shaun Veldsman

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division fixtures:
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs The Sharks
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Time: 19h10
Date: 4 October 2013

GWK Griquas vs Toyota Free State Cheetahs
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Time: 14h00
Date: 5 October 2013

DHL Western Province vs MTN Golden Lions
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Time: 14h00
Date: 5 October 2013

 

[PaarlBok]

First division semi time
SARugby

The Absa Currie Cup First Division will reach boiling point this weekend as the top four teams in the competition battle it out for places in the final following 14 taxing weeks of round-robin matches.

Log-leaders the Steval Pumas, who finished the pool stages unbeaten, host the SWD Eagles at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit and defending champions, the EP Kings, take on the Leopards at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth in the semifinals on Friday.

Steval Pumas vs SWD Eagles

With the Steval Pumas having been in impeccable form this season, with the side boasting the best attack and defence in the series, and the luxury of home ground advantage counting in their favour, they will enter their clash against the SWD Eagles as favourites. The hosts will also enter the clash with a mental edge after winning both round robin matches against the sides. However, the visitors will draw immense confidence from the fact that in the last outing between the teams, they only went down 28-27.

With both teams having proved their effectiveness on attack this season, the match could be entertaining should the teams opt for a loose style of play rather than a cautious approach. But the Eagles will have to improve their defence, as they conceded the third-highest number of tries in the competition. They will also have to be disciplined to keep alive hopes of an upset as Pumas’ flyhalf Carl Bezuidenhout has earned the reputation as points machines thanks to his accurate goal-kicking. Eagles fullback Justin van Staden, however, has also been accurate with the boot this season, which means they too have the ability to accumulate points should the Pumas infringe.

Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse named his strongest possible team for the clash with speedstersCoenie van Wyk, JW Bell and Rosko Speckman as his back three and Bezuidenhout at pivot. Unfortunately for the coach his other pin-point goal kicker JC Roos has been ruled out due to injury. The Eagles, meanwhile, made a handful of changes to their team, especially among the backs, with Martin du Toit starting at flyhalf, and the dependable Justin van Staden and Anver Venter at fullback and centre respectively. Van Staden and left wing Alshaun Bock, in particular, are expected to be key players given their impressive form this season.

Steval Pumas: Coenie van Wyk; JW Bell, Wilmaure Louw, Stefan Watermeyer, Rosko Speckman; Carl Bezuidenhout, Faf de Klerk; RW Kember, Renaldo Bothma, Corné Steenkamp, Eduan van der Walt, Rudi Mathee, Corné Fourie, Frankie Herne, Vincent Koch. Replacements: Swys du Toit, Dee-Jay Terblanche, Giant Mtyanda, Uzair Cassiem, Doppies le Roux, Dewald Pretorius, Wilhelm Loock.

SWD Eagles: Justin van Staden; Clinton Wagman, Anver Venter, Gerrit Smith, Alshaun Bock; Martin du Toit, Deroy Rhoode; Kabamba Floors, Buran Parks, Shaun Raubenheimer; Mzwanele Zito, Schalk Oelofse; Grant Kemp, Martin Ferreira, Roy Godfrey. Replacements: Layle Delo, Dean Hopp, Grant le Roux, Lyndon Hartnick, Mzoxolo Dyantyi, Marshall Boesak, Hentzwill Pedro.

Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant Referees: Jaco van Heerden, Stephan Breytenbach
TMO: Johan Greeff

EP Kings vs Leopards

In Port Elizabeth the EP Kings will enter their clash against the Leopards with an edge with form and confidence counting in their favour. While the Leopards have battled to maintain consistency in their performances this season, the defending Absa Currie Cup First Division Champions come off six successive victories. Similarly to the Pumas, the Kings’ high try-scoring rate and respectable defence allowed them to finish among the top two sides in the competition, meaning the Leopards will have to produce a solid all-round performance to secure their first final appearance since 2008.

The Leopards won the first round-robin match between the teams, while the Kings emerged victorious in the second. But interestingly, the Kings won all three matches against the Potchefstroom team last year, which included a convincing 50-27 victory in the semifinal.

The forward battle, and particularly the breakdowns, are expected to be key areas in the match, but the teams also have exciting backs, who have made their presence felt this season. Both coaches named unchanged starting teams for the clash, which they hope will offer continuity in selection and winning momentum. The Kings will look to the likes of experienced flyhalf George Whitehead, wing Michael Killian, fullback Scott van Breda and lock Steven Sykes to lead by example as they attempt to book their fourth successive final berth. The Leopards, meanwhile, will be hoping that star wings Luther Obi and Edmar Marais, centre and place-kicker Adriaan Engelbrecht and forwards SJ Niemand and skipper Brendon Snyman are on form, as they have been key figures in guiding the team to the semifinal. Engelbrecht, however, will have to be back on song with the boot this week after failing to slot over a single goal-kick last week, as every point counts this week.

EP Kings: Scott van Breda; Michael Killian, Ronnie Cooke, Tiger Mangweni, Brian Skosana; George Whitehead, Dwayne Kelly; Tim Agaba, Mpho Mbioyzo, Devin Oosthuizen, Steven Sykes, Darron Nel ©, KP du Plessis, Albe de Swardt, Luzo Gcoboka. Replacements: Bobby Dyer, Ross Geldenhuys, Wayne van Heerden, Stefan Willemse, Kayle van Zyl, Ntabeni Dukisa, Wayne Stevens.

Leopards: Danie Dames; Luther Obi, Dumisani Matyeshana, Adriaan Engelbrecht, Edmar Marais; Warren Gilbert, Johan Laker; SJ Niemand, Morné Hanekom, Philip de Wet, Brendon Snyman ©, Peet van der Walt, Elardus Venter, Jacques Vermaak, BG Uys. Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle, Joe Smith, Stoof Bezuidenhout, MB Lusaseni, HP Swart, Tiaan Dorfling, George Tossel.

Referee: Ben Crouse
Assistant Referees: Jason Jaftha, Sieg van Staden

 

[PaarlBok]

Weekends matches
SARugby

Sharks, WP book Absa Currie Cup home semi-finals


October 06, 2013
DHL Western Province and The Sharks this weekend succeeded in their mission to book home semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division as they fought their way to their seventh victories of the season.
Western Province’s bonus point 36-23 victory against the MTN Golden Lions in Cape Town on Saturday allowed them to leapfrog the Sharks on the log standings, as the Durban-based team earned only four points for their narrow 18-16 victory against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
In the other match the Cheetahs registered a convincing 52-21 victory against GWK Griquas in Kimberley to stay in the top four for a semifinal berth.
This also allowed them hop above the Lions on the log table.
With the Bloemfontein team boasting five more log points than the fifth-placed Blue Bulls, they need only a bonus point in their final match to guarantee a semifinal berth if the Pretoria team wins their last clash with a bonus point.
The fourth-placed Lions, meanwhile, are four points ahead of the Blue Bulls on the log, meaning they will still have work to do to secure a semifinal berth should the Blue Bulls win their final match.
DHL Western Province 36 (18) MTN Golden Lions 23 (9)
In Cape Town the first 30 minutes between DHL Western Province and the MTN Golden Lions was dominated by penalties, which flyhalves Demetri Catrakilis and Marnitz Boshoff took advantage of to keep the scoreboard ticking.
But the home team managed to get a break-through shortly before half time as Damian de Allende and Deon Fourie crashed over for tries to hand the team an 18-9 lead.
Western Province stretched their lead minutes after the break thanks to a try by wing Gerhard van den Heever and another penalty by Catrakilis.
But the Lions clawed their back into the match in the fourth quarter with two tries by inspirational captain Derick Minnie to come within range of securing a bonus point for losing by seven points or less.
The team was awarded a penalty late in the match, but rather than opting to kick for posts and reduce the gap between the sides to seven points, they kicked for touch and lost the ball in contact.
Western Province took full advantage of this error to build phases on attack, which paid off as Michael Rhodes scored the bonus point try on the stroke of full time.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province 36 (18) – Tries: Damian de Allende, Deon Fourie, Gerhard van der Heever, Michael Rhodes. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis. Penalties: Catrakilis (3), Kurt Coleman.
MTN Golden Lions 23 (9) – Tries: Derick Minnie (2). Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (2). Penalties: Boshoff (3).
GWK Griquas 21 (7) Toyota Free State Cheetahs 52 (14)
In Kimberley, four tries by Toyota Free State speedster Raymond Rhule, who made his way back into the team following an injury to star right wing Riaan Smit, set up the side for a morale-boosting victory against GWK Griquas.
The first half was tight despite the Toyota Free State Cheetahs building up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter compliments of three Elgar Watts penalties and a try by Schalk van der Merwe.
But Griquas tightened up their defence and hit back with a try late in the half to close the gap to 14-7.
Griquas did well to contain the Cheetahs in the opening exchanges of the second half, but the flood gates opened for the visitors 10 minutes in as they scored tries at will.
So dominant were the side, they scored five second-half tries, while Griquas managed only two.
The defeat for Griquas sealed their fate in the series as the last-placed team, which means they will play two promotion-relegation fixtures against the Pumas, who finished the Absa Currie Cup First Division league stages as the top team, to determine which team will feature in the Premier Division next season.
Scorers:
GWK Griquas 21 (7) – Tries: Dalton Davis, Jaco Nepgen, Rory Arnold. Conversions: Gouws Prinsloo (3).
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 52 (14) – Tries: Piet van Zyl, Raymond Rhule (4), Schalk van der Merwe. Conversions: Elgar Watts (2), Willie du Plessis (3). Penalties: Watts (4).
Vodacom Blue Bulls 16 (6) The Sharks 18 (9)
At Loftus Versfeld the Sharks held on for their seventh victory of the season despite two yellow cards.
With the Sharks playing for a home semifinal and the Vodacom Blue Bulls desperate to win to stay in the running for a semifinal berth, the clash was expected to be hard fought, and it lived up to these expectations.
The Sharks had the advantage in terms of territory and possession early in the first half, but they battled to breach the Blue Bulls’ defence, which resulted in the team having to settle for penalties.
The home team, however, slowly clawed their way into the match as the half progressed, although similarly to the Sharks they battled to get over the tryline.
In total Sharks flyhalf Fred Zeilinga kicked three penalties in the first half, while his Blue Bulls counterpart Handre Pollard kicked two, which handed the visitors a narrow 9-6 lead.
The second half was equally tightly-fought as the teams threw everything at each other.
Another penalty by Zeilinga in the 44th minute extended the Sharks’ lead to 12-6, but a converted try by Blue Bulls centre Francois Venter edged the home team into the lead.
Pollard extended their lead to 16-12 with a penalty in the 66th minute.
But two late penalties by Butch James in the last 10 minutes, the second of which was in the 78th minute, dashed the Blue Bulls hopes’ of a victory.
Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls 16 (6) – Try: Francois Venter. Conversion: Handre Pollard. Penalties: Pollard (3).
The Sharks 18 (9) – Penalties: Fred Zeilinga (4), Butch James (2).

 

[PaarlBok]

Div One:

Pumas, EP Kings meet again in First Division Final


October 06, 2013
The Steval Pumas and EP Kings will cross paths in the Absa Currie Cup First Division final for the second year in a row after overcoming tough battles in the semifinals this past weekend to book their places.
This year, however, the Pumas will host the showpiece in a match that would mark their first home final since 2009.
The Steval Pumas broke away late in their clash against the SWD Eagles in Nelspruit on Friday for a 52-33 victory, despite a tight start to the match, while a strong fight by the EP Kings through a nail-biting second half and 20 minutes of extra time earned them a narrow 32-29 victory against the Leopards in Port Elizabeth.
Next week’s final will mark the EP Kings’ fourth final appearance in a row, while the Pumas last final berth before the 2012 season was in 2009.
Steval Pumas 52 (20) SWD Eagles 33 (16)
In Nelspruit the first half was as tight as it gets as the Steval Pumas and SWD Eagles gave everything to force their way into the lead.
The Eagles drew first blood with right wing Clinton Wagman crossing the tryline in the fifth minute to signal their intent.
But the Pumas’ Corne Steenkamp hit back with a try in the 13th minute after the teams each slotted over a penalty.
The Eagles were dealt a big blow soon after as captain and looseforward Kabamba Floors received a yellow card.
The team, however, held the fort in his absence, and allowed the Eagles only the three points from the penalty for the initial offence while reduced to 14 men.
Eagles fullback Justin van Staden added two penalties before half time, but this was cancelled out by a converted try by Pumas centre Stefan Watermeyer two minutes before half time.
This allowed the home team to enter the break with a 20-16 lead.
Both teams came out strongly after the break showing innovation on attack and backing this up with fantastic running lines and support play, which resulted in a see-saw spell.
Such was the frantic nature of the game five tries were scored 22 minutes – three by the home team and two by the visitors – as they found gaps in the defence and rounded off their chances well.
But two more tries by the Pumas in the last 13 minutes to take their tally to six, and another penalty by Bezuidenhout allowed them to accumulate over 50 points and take the honours.
Scorers:
Steval Pumas 52 (20) – Tries: Christo le Roux, Coenie van Wyk, Corne Steenkamp, Renaldo Bothma, RW Kember, Stefan Watermeyer. Conversions: Carl Bezuidenhout (5). Penalties: Bezuidenhout (4).
SWD Eagles 33 (16) - Tries: Alshaun Bock, Anver Venter, Clinton Wagman. Conversions: Justin van Staden (3). Penalties: Van Staden (4).
EP Kings 32 (9) Leopards 29 (16)
The semifinal in Port Elizabeth was thrilling from the outset, as the EP Kings and Leopards took to the field determined to fight until the final whistle to advance to the final.
With neither team giving an inch, the first half proved to be a penalty festival with EP Kings fullback Scott van Breda and Leopards centre Adriaan Engelbrecht each slotting over three penalties in the first 32 minutes.
A converted try by talented Leopards left wing Edmar Marais three minutes before the break, however, pushed the visitors into an encouraging 16-9 lead.
With the pressure turned on the EP Kings ensured that they had the first say in the second half, with No8 Tim Agaba dotting down over the tryline to level the scores.
A yellow card for the Leopards’ SJ Niemand, however, allowed Van Breda to have another strike at goal, which he converted, with six minutes left in regular time.
Engelbrecht cancelled it out as he earned another three-pointer, but Van Breda again edged his team into the lead with three minutes to play. Engelbrecht, however, levelled the scores on the stroke of full-time, which forced the match into extra time.
The teams added a converted try a piece in the extra 20 minutes, but a sixth penalty by Van Breda handed the EP Kings a hard-fought 32-29 victory, and secured their place in the final.
Scorers:
EP Kings 32 (9) – Tries: Kayle van Zyl, Tim Agaba. Conversions: Scott van Breda (2). Penalties: Van Breda (6).
Leopards 29 (16) – Tries: Edmar Marais, Tiaan Dorfling. Conversions: Adriaan Engelbrecht (2). Penalties: Engelbrecht (5).

 

[PaarlBok]

u21s
Exciting finish lined up for Absa U.21 Championship


October 07, 2013
The round-robin stages of the Absa Under-21 Provincial Championship looks set for a grand finale this weekend as the venue of second semifinal and the fourth semifinalist has yet to be determined.
DHL Western Province, with 10 victories in 11 matches, have booked the top spot on the log for their home semifinal, but either The Sharks and Vodacom Blue Bulls will host the other semifinal.
Lower down on the log the MTN Golden Lions and Toyota Free State are still in the running for the fourth semifinal berth, meaning the competition will come down to the wire.
In the weekend’s matches DHL Western Province thumped the MTN Golden Lions 39-5 in Cape Town, Toyota Free State beat the Leopards 38-29 in Potchefstroom and the Sharks defeated the Vodacom Blue Bulls 35-29 in Pretoria.
DHL Western Province 39 (20) MTN Golden Lions 5 (5)
The clash at DHL Newlands was one-sided from the outset as the home team out-classed the MTN Golden Lions to register another convincing victory.
Such was the effectiveness of the Cape side’s play, they built up a 20-5 half time lead thanks to balanced effort on attack and defence, with their bonus point being bagged in the first half. The Lions’ only points came from a sole try by fullback Marais Schmidt in the 28th minute.
The home side continued this dominance in the second half although the Lions produced a solid spell in the opening 10 minutes to deny WP extra points.
But the Cape side’s class shone through as the half progressed, as they added three more tries to take their total for the match to seven, while denying the Johannesburg team a single point in the half.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province 39 (20) – Tries: Craig Barry, Devon Williams (2), Justin Benn, Patrick Howard (2), Rayn Smid. Conversions: Dillyn Leyds (2).
MTN Golden Lions 5 (5) – Try: Marais Schmidt.
Leopards 29 (12) Toyota Free State 38 (31)
A strong first half by the Toyota Free State set them up for a bonus-point win against the Leopards in Potchefstroom last Friday, with the team crossing the tryline three times in the first 15 minutes for a 19-0 lead.
The Leopards, however, reduced the deficit thanks to tries by Jaco Jordaan and Eugene Pettite, but this was cancelled out by another two Free State tries before the break.
The Leopards bounced back strongly in the second half with a tighter defensive structure and a more effective effort on attack, which earned them three tries, while they managed to limit the Free State to only one.
But unfortunately these efforts were insufficient to win the match due to Free State’s big lead.
Scorers:
Leopards 29 (12) – Tries: Corné Duvenage, Eugene Pettit, Jaco Buys, Jaco Jordaan, Tiaan Loots. Conversions: Jacobus du Plessis, Ryno Smith.
Toyota Free State 38 (31) – Tries: Henco Venter, Neil Claassen, Niell Jordaan, Ockert du Toit, Stephen Griesel, Tienie Burger. Conversions: Niel Marais (4).
Vodacom Blue Bulls 29 (15) The Sharks 35 (13)
In Pretoria, the Sharks recovered from a two-point deficit at half time against the Vodacom Blue Bulls to register their eighth victory of the season and hop into second place on the log standings.
Their two-point lead over the third-placed Blue Bulls will give them an edge with an eye on securing the remaining home semifinal.
However this will require either a victory in their remaining game or the Pretoria team has to suffer a defeat in their final match.
The Sharks entered the break 15-13 down at Loftus Versfeld, but two tries in the third quarter bolstered their confidence and pushed them into the lead.
The Blue Bulls managed to close the gap thanks to a try by Nardus van der Walt in the 62nd minute, but another two tries by the visitors in the last six minutes sealed the victory for the Durban side.
Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls 29 (15) – Tries: Burger Odendaal, Jacques Rossouw, Nardus van der Walt, Shaun Adendorff. Conversions: Tony Jantjies (3). Penalty: Jantjies.
The Sharks 35 (13) – Tries: Allan Dell, Andre Esterhuizen, Garath Meikle, Robert du Preez. Conversion: Duncan Campbell (2), Robert du Preez.

 

[PaarlBok]

WeePee top the log and Bulls not qualifying for the semis.

SARugby

WP remain unbeaten, Lions and Cheetahs secure their semifinal spots


October 13, 2013
The round-robin stages of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division this weekend reached an exciting conclusion, as DHL Western Province maintained their unbeaten run to retain the No1 spot on the log, while the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and MTN Golden Lions secured their semifinal berths.
DHL Western Province will host the MTN Golden Lions in the first semifinal in Cape Town next Saturday, while The Sharks will meet the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Durban in the other pay-off match.
The Lions and Cheetahs finished the league stages level on 26 log points thanks to the four-try bonus point bagged by the Johannesburg team in their clash against GWK Griquas.
But the regulations stipulate that in such instances log positions will be determined by the best points difference in the matches contested between the respective teams, which resulted in the Cheetahs finishing in third place and the Lions fourth.
This despite the fact that the Lions boasted a better points difference overall than the Cheetahs.
In Saturday’s matches DHL Western Province edged The Sharks 17-13 at Growthpoint Kings Park, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs defeated the Vodacom Blue Bulls 22-7 at the Free State Stadium and the MTN Golden Lions beat GWK Griquas 35-28 at Ellis Park.
The Sharks 13 (6) DHL Western Province 17 (14)
In Durban, DHL Western Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis’ pin-point goal kicking placed his team on the front foot against the Sharks in soaking conditions.
With the rain pelting down for a large part of the match both teams resorted to a tactical kicking game, and as expected goal-kicking proved to be crucial.
Catrakilis opened up the scoring with his first penalty in the sixth minute and backed this up with a drop goal five minutes later, while Sharks’ flyhalf Fred Zeilinga kicked two penalties to level the scores.
Western Province captain Deon Fourie scored the only try of the half in the 25th minute after the Sharks fumbled the ball, which the visitors capitalised on by spreading the ball out wide to Fourie for an 11-6 lead. Catrakilis added another penalty to hand his team an eight-point lead at the break.
The second half was equally tightly-fought, although Sharks’ replacement looseforward Keegan Daniel managed to cross the tryline seven minutes in, to close the gap to 14-13.
Catrakilis, however, did enough to seal the victory in the 60th minute with his third penalty of the day for a 17-13 win.
Scorers:
The Sharks 13 (6): Try: Keegan Daniel. Conversion: Pat Lambie. Penalties: Fred Zeilinga (2).
DHL Western Province 17 (14): Try: Deon Fourie. Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (3). Drop Goal: Catrakilis.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 22 (10) Vodacom Blue Bulls 7 (7)
In Bloemfontein the Vodacom Blue Bulls opted to hunt tries throughout the match against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs to achieve the tough task of defeating the hosts with a bonus point and by eight points or more, while denying the Cheetahs a bonus point to keep alive their hopes of a semifinal berth.
Such was their determination to achieve this they turned down several shots at goal and attacked instead, but the tenacious Cheetahs’ defence combined with a bunch of handling errors and turnovers by the visitors dashed their hopes of a victory.
Cheetahs flyhalf Elgar Watts was particularly impressive as he created the first try by Robert Ebersohn and then kicked a penalty to hand his team a 10-0 lead.
The Blue Bulls, however, fought their way back into the match with a try by prop Marcel van der Merwe shortly before half time.
Unfortunately for the visitors they were unable to build on this in the second half as the pressure got to the players, resulting in a comedy of errors, which left the team scoreless after the break.
The Cheetahs, meanwhile, made the most of their attacking chances, with Watts scoring a stunning try after gathering an attempted chip by the Blue Bulls, while Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss sprinted to the tryline to touch down for his team’s third try.
This despite the Cheetahs’ being reduced to 14 men in the 73rd minute after replacement prop Schalk van der Merwe received a red card for a dangerous tackle on opposition fullback Jurgen Visser.
,Scorers:
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 22 (10) – Tries: Adriaan Strauss, Elgar Watts, Robert Ebersohn. Conversions: Watts (2). Penalty: Watts.
Vodacom Blue Bulls 7 (7) – Try: Marcel van der Merwe. Conversion: Handre Pollard.
MTN Golden Lions 35 (15) GWK Griquas 28 (19)
The clash in Johannesburg was gripping as GWK Griquas surprised the MTN Golden Lions with their strong start, which earned them a 16-3 lead by the 20th minute.
This was partly due to the home team’s ill-discipline, which earned Griquas fullback Gouws Prinsloo seven penalties in the match.
Three early penalties by Prinsloo and a fantastic try by Griquas wing Rocco Jansen from a chip-and-chase netted the team an encouraging 16-3 lead.
But the Lions bounced back thanks to tries by Jacques van Rooyen and Anthony Volmink before the break. Prinsloo, however, had the last say as he slotted over another penalty shortly before half time for a 19-15 lead.
Tries by Lions hooker Willie Wepener and replacement looseforward Willie Britz to add to two penalties by flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, however, handed the hosts an edge, as Griquas only points in the second half were compliments of three more penalties by Gouws.
The match marked the end of Griquas’ campaign, however, the team will face the Steval Pumas in home and away promotion-relegation games in the next two weeks to determine which of the sides will feature in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division next season.
Scorers:
MTN Golden Lions 35 (15) – Tries: Anthony Volmink, Jacques van Rooyen, Willie Britz, Willie Wepener. Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (3). Penalties: Boshoff (3).
GWK Griquas 28 (19) – Try: Rocco Jansen. Conversion: Gouws Prinsloo. Penalties: Prinsloo (7).

 

[PaarlBok]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-AK (Andrew Kellaway)-prn2/1384292_241276742694685_214709478_n.jpg

 

[PaarlBok]

Rugby365
Kings

Steve Cummins, 22, has been described as an exciting young tight forward with great potential.

He captained the Australian Academy U19 side in 2011 and went on to represent Australia in the U20 World Championship the following year.

 

[p.Tah]

Interesting move PB. Best of luck to him.

http://www.rugby365.com/article/60397-kings-go-shopping-overseas

 

[kiap]

Rugby365
Kings

OomPB and p.Tah - Looks like he's a player in demand. Rebels yesterday with a story he's joining them:

http://melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/rabodirect-rebels-sign-steve-cummins

 

[PaarlBok]

So he'll play a bit of CC before joining the Rebels. Perfect preparation.

 

[PaarlBok]

2014 CC halfway.

Currie Cup attendances

Blue Bulls EP Kings 9358
Blue Bulls WP 16368
Blue Bulls Golden Lions 9592
Loftus ave 11773

EP Kings WP 20664
EP Kings Golden Lions 15864
PE Ave 14849

FS Cheetahs Griquas 11991
FS Cheetahs Pumas 4903
FS Stadium ave 8447

Golden Lions Blue Bulls 13561
Golden Lions EP Kings 5955
Ellis Park ave 9758

Griquas Sharks 9235
Griquas FS Cheetahs 7348
Kimberley ave 8292

Pumas FS Cheetahs 11513
Pumas Griquas 8264
Pumas Sharks 13876
Nelspruit ave 11218

Sharks Pumas 7615
Sharks FS Cheetahs 17283
Sharks Griquas 12424
Kings Park ave 12441

WP Blue Bulls 16652
WP Golden Lions 18274
WP EP Kings n/a
Newlands ave 17463

Figures are way down on last year

Ellis Park 24,135
Newlands 21,342
Loftus 17,788
Kings Park 16,929
Free State 14,271
GWK Park 6,929

 

[PaarlBok]

CC near it ends now

 

[PaarlBok]

Since Gert Smal came back to WP they change their gameplan totally and back to the game we all love this province. There are a few young men who will make their S15 debuts next year and a totally different Stormers team in the making. We all love Aplons flair in the past but here is a young man who make us all forget about Appels. Cheslyn Kolbe
WP Site

Spirit of a great heart


September 22, 2014
Cheslin Kolbe has crept into the hearts of the DHL Newlands Faithful with his lethal cocktail of flair and fearlessness.

Tweet

If a big guy stormed down on a little one with a weight advantage in excess of 30kg, what would the likely outcome be? An easy question to answer, isn’t it? But not so easy if that little guy is Cheslin Kolbe.
Faced with such a one-on-one situation with just him between Golden Lions lock Luvuyiso Lusaseni and DHL WP’s tryline in a recent Absa Currie Cup match, Kolbe bravely brought down a man with a weight advantage of over 30kg.
“It’s a challenge that excites me,” says Kolbe of his defensive duties.
“People think a big guy will run over you just because you are small, but I don’t accept that. I learned a lot from the one-on-one situations I faced while playing for the Springbok Sevens team.”
Does he not get frightened with the laws of physics stacked against him?
“Sometimes you think about it afterwards, but not in the moment. You have to man up. Gio Aplon always told me that you have to win that individual battle,” says Kolbe, who punches well above his weight of 78kg.
DHL WP indeed have much to be grateful for that Aplon passed on his knowledge to Kolbe before heading to Grenoble in France.
“I’m still in touch with Gio. He’s always given me lots of tips and has asked how I’m doing,” says Kolbe.
Much like Aplon, Kolbe (20) is a mixture of incredible bravery and exceptional attacking prowess, in particular from broken play. Given time and space, he has the ability to make other players on the field seem static and run through untouched to the tryline.
“You don’t often get broken field, so you have to make it count when you have the opportunity,” he says.
For all the flair, however, there is a calculated side to Kolbe. The ability to maximise his attacking talent is based in the skill to make decisions in a split second. His positional play at fullback is another strength that makes him very useful at deflecting pressure from kicks behind the team.
“You have to do your homework and analyse the opposition. In the game itself, you get a feel for the situation,” he says.
Kolbe was eased into action on the wing at Currie Cup level last year rather than immediately being exposed to the pressure of playing fullback.
“I’m enjoying myself at fullback now and it’s my preferred position, but I think playing wing was good for me to be able to grow into the set-up. I learned a lot there,” he says.

“Playing fullback is challenging in the sense that you have to read the game more because there is a lot of space behind. It’s particularly challenging if the opposition has an experienced halfback pairing.”​

Kolbe also delights in forming a back-three combination with Seabelo Senatla and Kobus van Wyk.
“Seabelo and I played sevens together since 2012 and last year we also represented the SA U20 team. We spend time together just about every day,” he says.
“Kobus and I have played together from Craven Week level onwards and have always had a good relationship.
“You must have a good understanding with your wings. It’s a relationship you have to build on.”
Indeed, it’s a youthful combination that has the potential to serve DHL WP well in the seasons to come.
The last time DHL WP had a back-three combination that made such an impact was probably when Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse and Pieter Rossouw served the union so well. Those are former players for whom there is immense respect in the current set-up.
“One of our commitments is to respect the people who wore the jersey before us,” says Kolbe.
But while those crowd favourites gave the Faithful fond memories, there is little doubt that there are many more good ones to come from Kolbe and co.

 

[PaarlBok]

Sport24

Leyds to fit in seamlessly

2014-10-02 17:22
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Dillyn Leyds (Gallo Images)
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Cape Town - Former Western Force utility player, Dillyn Leyds, will make his Currie Cup debut for Western Province on Saturday when they play the Free State Cheetahs in a Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein.
For the past year Leyds has been playing for the Australian pair of Western Force and Perth Spirit in Australia's domestic National Rugby Championship (NRC) competition.
He is, however Cape Town-born and has come through the Province age-groups and was a member of the South African Under-20 team that won the IRB Junior World Championship in 2012.
He arrived in the Mother City five days ago when injuries and Springbok Sevens call-ups had depleted Province's backline reserves.
Coach Allister Coetzee said he had no hesitation in naming Leyds in this week's starting line-up.
"I have to say that Dillyn has fitted seamlessly into the squad and it is like he's never been away. He has matured as a person and does not sound like the Under-21 player that played for Province last season.
"In training he has responded well to (playing) calls and he has the core skills for a number 15."
Leyds takes the place of Cheslin Kolbe, who was injured in last week's match against the Pumas.
Kolbe has developed into a match-winner and ranks among the finds of the 2014 Currie Cup season.
Coetzee sees a similarity between the two players, but does not expect Leyds to emulate Kolbe.
"It is unfair to compare the two players because they both have strengths. Dillyn is a matured footballer and is capable of making good (rugby) decisions.
"His inclusion does not mean that we'll change the way we have been playing because he's also good from broken play. Tactically, Dillyn is also a good kicker."
Leyds' inclusion is one of five changes to the Province side which romped home against the Pumas in Nelspruit last week.
Winger Justin Geduld has joined the Sevens squad and Pat Howard will take his place.
At scrumhalf, Nic Groom takes over from Louis Schreuder.
"Two of the backline changes came about of circumstances but in replacing players we have looked to strike a great balance. We have gone for Pat because he's played for us of late and that experience is vital at this stage of the season.
"It's not Devon's fault that he hasn't had much chance to play at Currie Cup level but Pat is match sharp."
The loss of both first-choice locks Ruan Botha and Jean Kleyn through injury has resulted in yet another new-look second-row pairing.
Argentina international, Manuel Carizza, will be partnered by Rynhardt Elstadt, who returns after serving suspension.
"I've taken the suspension on the chin and I'm keen to be back on the field again," said Elstadt.
"It's never easy to sit on the sidelines, especially at a time when the team is doing so well. Now that we've lost two locks it will be a challenge to hold our own in the set-pieces."
Coetzee said this week's team faced a very different challenge in Bloemfontein.
"This will be a desperate Cheetahs team and they will remember that they've defeated us at their home ground during the Super Rugby season."

Teams:

Free State Cheetahs:

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 JP Du Plessis,13 Francois Venter,12 Joubert Engelbrecht,11 Raymond Rhule,10 Willie du Plessis,9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Lappies Labuschagné,7 Neil Claassen,6 Tienie Burger,5 Francois Uys,4 Werner Lourens,3 George Marich,2 Torsten Van Jaarsveld (captain),1 Coenie Oosthuizen

Substitutes:16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen,19 Henco Venter,19 Vincent Jobo,20 Shaun Venter,21 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 22 AJ Coertzen

Western Province:

15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Pat Howard, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak