Eighteen Boks back in CC
Eighteen Springboks that were part of the record-breaking Vodacom Tri-Nations victory over Australia will feature in one way or another this weekend as the Absa Currie Cup semifinal race nears fever-pitch.
Only Adi Jacobs (Sharks), Jongi Nokwe (Vodacom FS Cheetahs), Butch James and Percy Montgomery (Vodacom Western Province) are not in action this weekend as national attention turns firmly onto the Absa Currie Cup.
Jacobs is being rested after a bruising Tri-Nations campaign, Nokwe picked up an ankle injury whilst scoring his fourth try against the Wallabies, James does not play domestically in South Africa at the moment and Montgomery has a stomach ailment.
The rest, however, are all available, with Vodacom Western Province slotting all their first-choice players straight back into the mix; giving them no fewer than 11 Springboks in their starting line-up.
But, even with the wealth of players at their disposal, Vodacom WP coach Allister Coetzee is not even contemplating certain victory against the defending champions, the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, when the two teams meet at Vodacom Park on Saturday at 3pm.
?It might look good on paper, but we all know that games are not won on paper,? said Coetzee after announcing the WP team on Wednesday. ?This team hasn?t played together as a combination for some time now; it?s not just a case of pitching up and winning.?
Making WP?s challenge that much tougher is the fact that the FS Cheetahs have not lost an Absa Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein since 2006 ? when they went down 24-12 to the Vodacom Blue Bulls on August 5. Plus, the Cheetahs have also been boosted by the return of skipper Juan Smith and hooker Adriaan Strauss to their playing ranks.
?That home record is something we pride ourselves on and it?s an honour the players intend on protecting for as long as possible,? Vodacom FS Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske told
www.sarugby.coza this week.
?Teams like WP and the Bulls are always hard to beat away from home and we certainly owe them something after losing away to them during the first round of fixtures,? added the man who was recently crowned as the Absa Currie Cup Coach of the Month for August.
The mass Bok injection into the Absa Currie Cup does not end with the Cheetahs-WP match, with the top-of-the-table Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls clash in Durban on Saturday (kick-off 5.05pm) also looking like a proverbial ?Who?s Who of Springbok rugby?.
The Sharks can once again consider the likes of Odwa Ndungane, Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Jannie du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis for selection, but also making a welcome return to the side is skipper Johann Muller, who has been injured for some time.
The Bulls, meanwhile, have fit-again IRB World Player of the Year Bryan Habana back in the mix, along with current Bok captain Victor Matfield, hardman Danie Rossouw, No.8 Pierre Spies and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez.
With first place on the log up for grabs once again, neither side will be lacking in motivation ? but the Sharks will feel they owe the Bulls one after their 35-14 loss at Loftus earlier in the season.
?It is definitely make or break in terms of securing home finals and semi-finals,? said Sharks centre Brad Barritt on
www.sharksrugby.co.za. ?We really need to win the games heading up to the semis, for us, the aim is to win every game from hereon in, if we can do that, we would have achieved our target. Looking at these two weeks, it?s two big teams, big rugby days, and we?re looking forward to the challenge.?
With all the talk of returning Springbok players this weekend, the Xerox Lions continue to go about their business without any current Boks in their selection equation.
After a poor start to the 2008 Absa Currie Cup season, which saw them lose two successive matches, the Johannesburg-based side got their season back on track 35-23 home win over the Valke in early July. They have produced some impressive results since then ? including an away win over the Blue Bulls ? and now find themselves back where it all started with a fixture against the Valke, albeit away from home, on Friday night.
?We have spent the week training hard and will be ready and prepared for Friday night,? said a confident Lions coach Eugene Eloff.
?We are in a strong semifinal position and will be taking each game as it comes and will certainly be putting our all into each game. The focus is on each individual game at the moment, and on winning each game.?
The Lions could potentially shut the door on WP?s semifinal prospects should they beat the Valke ? especially if WP lose to the Cheetahs ? but there is a battle of a different type for the Wildeklawer Griquas and the Boland Cavaliers when they meet in Kimberley on Saturday.
The last fixture between these two teams produced a hard-fought 9-9 draw in Wellington, but this time around victory is non-negotiable as Griquas (sixth place on the log) and Boland (eighth) look to avoid that dreaded relegation match at the end of the season.
However, Boland were dealt a bitter blow this week with the news that flyhalf Isma-eel Dollie would miss the rest of the season with a groin injury, along with lock Frikkie Spies, who has a shoulder problem.
?It is really tough when your group of players is not that big. But I suppose it is something the so-called ?smaller unions? have to live with,? Boland coach Deon Davids lamented, before also revealing that hooker Clemen Lewis (knee) and wing Danwell Demas (shoulder) would miss Saturday?s crucial clash.
Injury worries aside for Boland, Griquas will be on a high after their 59-19 trouncing of the dangerous Valke a fortnight ago and they have the added motivation of possibly even leap-frogging Western Province into fifth place on the log, should the Capetonians lose in Bloemfontein.
Speaking ahead of his team?s clash with Boland, Griquas coach Dawie Theron revealed a rather simple tactical approach on the official Griquas website: ?Deny the opposition the ball and you can command the game.?
Absa Currie Cup facts of the week:
- Internationally-respected whistleman Jonathan Kaplan is the most-capped Absa Currie Cup referee of all time, having already refereed 117 matches. Andre Watson ? the current head of SA Referees ? is in second place, having officiated in 100 Absa Currie Cup games.
- Centre Piet van Zyl is back in the Boland Cavaliers team this week, in his 138th match for the Wellington-based union. He needs just two more appearances to equal Jannie Coetzee?s record as the most-capped Bolander of all time.
- The last time the Xerox Lions played in an Absa Currie Cup match (two weeks ago against the Vodacom FS Cheetahs), flyhalf Earl Rose scored 18 points; made up of one try, two conversions, two penalties and one drop-goal ? giving him the first full-house of points score in this competition since Derick Hougaard achieved that feat against the Wildeklawer Griquas on September 1, 2007.
Weekend fixtures:
Friday, September 5:
Valke v Xerox Lions
Kick-off: 7.10pm, Live on SuperSport 1/CSN
Saturday, September 6:
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Western Province
Kick-off: 3pm, Live on SuperSport 1/MNet
Wildeklawer Griquas v Boland Cavaliers
Kick-off: 3pm
Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 5.05pm, Live on SuperSport 1/MNet
The weekend teams:
Valke v Xerox Lions:
Valke: 15 Johan Jackson, 14 Dewald Pretorius, 13 Ernie Kruger, 12 Hanno Coetzee (captain), 11 Johan Swartz, 10 Len Olivier, 9 Poerie van Rooyen, 8 Sean Plaatjies, 7 Johan de Bruin, 6 Warren Perkins, 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Ruhan van Jaarsveld, 3 Nico Pretorius, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Gavin Whittingham.
Replacements: 16 Jody Jeneker, 17 Frik Venter, 18 Wouter Moore, 19 Reg Muller/Emile Verster, 20 Gerrie Odendaal, 21 Showan Smith, 22 Jeff Perkins.
Lions: 15 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 14 Michael Killian, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Trompie Nontshinga, 10 Earl Rose, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Lawrence Sephaka, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Derick Minnie, 19 Justin Wheeler, 20 Walter Venter, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 Rayno Benjamin.
Saturday, September 6:
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Western Province:
Cheetahs: 15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Wilton Pietersen, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Fabian Juries, 10 Tewis de Bruyn, 9 Neil Powell, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 David de Villiers, 3 Kobus Calldo, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Phillip Lemmer, 18 Nico Breedt, 19 Heinrich Brussow, 20 JW Jonker, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Kabamba Floors.
Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 AJ Venter, 19 Nick Koster, 20 Bolla Conradie, 21 Joe Pietersen, 22 Wylie Human.
Wildeklawer Griquas v Boland Cavaliers:
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Barry Geel, 12 Herkie Kruger, 11 MJ Mentz, 10 Conrad Barnard, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Heinrich Stride, 7 Stephan Gerber, 6 Gareth Krause (captain), 5 Brendon Snyman, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Bees Roux, 2 Hans van Dyk, 1 Regardt Dreyer.
Replacements: 16 James van der Walt, 17 Albertus Buckle, 18 Ruaan du Preez, 19 Jacques Lombaard, 20 Rohan Kitshoff, 21 Tobie Botes, 22 Jaco Bekker.
Boland: 15 Justin Peach, 14 Cornell Hendricks, 13 Piet van Zyl (captain), 12 Lionel Cornelius, 11 Alvin Hugo, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Dries van Schalkwyk, 7 Angelo Brinkhuis, 6 Zolani Mofu, 5 Bradley Mockford, 4 Nico Esterhuyse, 3 WP Nel, 2 Harry Vermaas, 1 Janro van Niekerk.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Wium, 17 Jean Botha, 18 Cecil Kemp, 19 Whalied Heyns, 20 Neil Papier, 21 Deon Scholtz, 22 Renfred Dazel.
Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls:
Sharks: 15. Stefan Terblanche, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Francois Steyn, 12. Bradley Barritt, 11. Waylon Murray, 10. Frederic Michalak, 9. Ruan Pienaar, 8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel, 6. Jacques Botes, 5. Johann Muller ( Capt ), 4. Alistair Hargreaves, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Skipper Badenhorst, 1. Deon Carstens
Replacements, 16. Bismarck du Plessis, 17. Patric Cilliers, 18. Steven Sykes, 19. Albert van den Berg, 20. Skholiwe Ndlovu, 21. Rory Kockott, 22. JP Pietersen
Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuun, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Juandre Kruger, 19 Gurthro Steenkamp, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Dewald Potgieter.
