SA Rugby matters

[PaarlBok]

Decided to open a SA Rugby thread where we can discuss all matters regarding SA Rugby and you welcome to throw in some questions regarding our game. Oom Paarl will be to keen to give you the info regarding anything player movement, CC stuff , refering, Bokke info, our schoolboy game, exct.

Have already started the Tamooau thread but we had two Aussie refs in action in our CC. Myself love the idea and hope this will happen much more in future.

SARugby.net

Aussie ref in the Currie Cup
Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:41

Australian players have played in the Currie for several years, but this year, for the first time, Australians have refereed Currie Cup matches. They came to South Africa for two rounds of the Currie Cup - two matches each.

The referees are Paul Marks of Queensland and Ian Smith of New South Wales. The first weekend Marks referee the match between Boland Cavaliers and the Blues Bulls at Boland Stadium in Wellington and Smith refereed the match between the Leopards and Western Province at Olën Park in Potchefstroom.

For the second weekend the pair had the pick of the matches. Smith was a Loftus Versfeld when the Cheetahs came to play the Bulls and marks was at Newlands when Griquas came to play Western Province. The Newlands match has historical interest - the oldest unions in South Africa playing at the oldest ground. The Currie Cup has been played at Newlands since 1894 and for the first time there was an Australian to referee it.

A few weeks prior to this a Scot, Peter Allan, had two Currie Cup matches - the derby between Griquas and Free State and the match between Boland and the Sharks. Meanwhile Nathan Pearce of Australia has twice refereed Air New Zealand Cup matches, also an innovation.

Paul Marks was in Cape Town when the weather was Western Cape awful, but we asked him about this new trend in refereeing.

He explained that over the last two years SANZAR had been keen to introduce a merit-based panel of referees instead of being hidebound by the principle of appointing only unattached referees. Marks said: "There is a good relationship between the three referee managers - Anthony Eddy, André Watson and Lyndon Bray. Our man Anthony Eddy pushed hardest for it and so Australia has had the first opportunity for referees on the fringe of the merit-based system to go to the other countries to show their wares. They can then show if they are capable of taking the place of referees on the merit panel who may be injured or in poor form.

"It's a great privilege for us to referee in such competitions - certainly not a responsibility taken lightly."

Reciprocity? After all if local referees are to be asked to "give up" matches they would love to referee, then there must be a quid pro quo. Australia just does not have a provincial competition the equivalent of the Currie Cup or the Air New Zealand Cup. It had a provincial competition but that was abandoned after a year because of the expense involved.

"The idea is that next year New Zealand and South African referees will referee in the later stages of the Brisbane and Sydney club competitions. It may seem that there is some disparity in this but the club matches in Brisbane and Sydney are of good quality with the return of the Super 14 players to club rugby. They may not have the same profile as the Currie Cup and the Air New Zealand Cup but the quality is there. "

For the Australians coming to South Africa, Australia pays for the flights, South Africa for the accommodation. The referees are full-time professionals and in Australia they do not receive match fees, which means that they will not be paid to referee Currie Cup matches.

Enjoyed it?

"Oh yes. I always enjoy coming to South Africa - the people, the culture, the hospitality and the rugby. Three of my favourite SANZAR venues are here - Newlands, Loftus and Durban."

Boland vs Blue Bulls?

"It was one-sided in the end but for much of the match Boland gave as good as they got. There was nothing wrong with the physicality of the match but in the end the Blue Bulls' conditioning and speed were too much. But it was a great experience - stunning scenery and great hospitality. The ground is old-fashioned and it was a bit like going back to the amateur days - refereeing a professional match in an amateur ethos. Bit like refereeing at Ballymore."

Western Province vs Griquas?

"The rain let up in the second half and I thoroughly enjoyed the match. I thought Western Province played really well in the conditions - kept the ball well."

The next day he started the long trek home to Brisbane via Johannesburg and Sydney. Being placed in refereeing where he is now Marks is away a fair bit. One year it was 145 days. This year it will be 121 days. "The players travel in teams but we are lone most of the time. It takes some getting used to."

At home there is his supportive wife Linda and their children - Isabella (7) and Ben (5).

"The travelling is the best and worst of refereeing. I love the travel and going to new places but at the same time it takes me away from my family and the kids are getting to the age when they would like their father around a bit more."

 

[PaarlBok]

A good article about Snor and his mission for his Bokke (unfortenately in Afrikaans and pretty difficult to translate

http://www.dieburger.com/Content/Sp...n_sy_Springbokke_nog_op_pad_na_paleis,_sê_Div

specially this part about Cape Town's All Black supporters Club, no way you can translate this in the red tale.

Wat niemand kan betwis nie, is dat Suid-Afrika se All Black-ondersteunersklub – veral in die Kaap – ná vanjaar waarskynlik effens kleiner is.

“Hulle is kas toe,” sê De Villiers met ’n glimlag.

 

[Spook]

Who are WP playing next? Is it the semis yet?

 

[PaarlBok]

Who are WP playing next? Is it the semis yet?

Still two rounds to go to the semis. The run in to the semis look like this
CC teams road to the semis
Here's the road to the play-offs:

Sharks: 45 points
Current position: First
Best possible finish: First
Worst possible finish: Fourth
Remaining fixtures:
October 3: v Lions, Durban
October 10: v Griquas, Kimberley

Western Province: 44 points
Current position: Second
Best possible finish: First
Worst possible finish: Fourth
Remaining fixtures:
October 3: v Boland, Cape Town
October 10: v Lions, Johannesburg

Griquas:38 points
Current position: Third
Best possible finish: First
Worst possible finish: Sixth
Remaining fixtures:
October 3: v Blue Bulls, Pretoria
October 10: v Sharks, Kimberley

Blue Bulls: 36 points
Current position: Fourth
Best possible finish: First
Worst possible finish: Sixth
Remaining fixtures:
October 3: v Griquas, Pretoria
October 9: v Leopards, Phokeng

Lions:32 points
Current position: Fifth
Best possible finish: Third
Worst possible finish: Sixth
Remaining fixtures:
October 3: v Sharks, Durban
October 10: v Western Province, Johannesburg

Free State Cheetahs:30 points
Current position: Sixth
Best possible finish: Third
Worst possible finish: Sixth
Remaining fixtures:
October 2: v Leopards, Bloemfontein
October 10: v Boland, Wellington

Only 1 point seperate's WP & Sharks. Both need only 1 victory to secure a home semis
. The Sharks have the Lions at home and Griquas away. The may drop a bonuspoint in the process to WP and WP can top the log if this happen because their point differense is much more healthier. Interesting one is that Boland is in pretty bad shape due to a lot of injuries and a lot of contracted WP players helping them. They are suppose not to play in derbies against WP but Coetzee discarded it and said Boland can use them on the weekend. This will give them a change to prove their worth against the first picks and will guive them gametime to help Boland stays in the Premier division once the promotion / relegation matches starts at the end of the season. WP will also give some players a rest like Duvenhage, Grant, de Jongh & Anton van Zyl and Tamooua will start with Januarie & Bekker back.

 

[PaarlBok]

Boland team has been announced. Bolded the WP conmtracted players
Hayden Groepes, Deon Scholtz, PJ Vermeulen, Dewey Swartbooi, Wendel Wehr, Danré Gerber(Danie's boy), Marnus Hugo, Junior Bester, Hilton Lobberts, Angelo Brinkhuys, Nico Esterhuyse, Rito Hlungwane, Jacobie Adriaanse, Harry Vermaas, Janro van Niekerk.

Geoerge Earl (lock) and Schalk Ferreira (prop) is injured and also WP contracted players. WP team will be announce this afternoon.

 

[Blue]

A good article about Snor and his mission for his Bokke (unfortenately in Afrikaans and pretty difficult to translate

http://www.dieburger.com/Content/Sp...n_sy_Springbokke_nog_op_pad_na_paleis,_sê_Div

specially this part about Cape Town's All Black supporters Club, no way you can translate this in the red tale.

Wat niemand kan betwis nie, is dat Suid-Afrika se All Black-ondersteunersklub – veral in die Kaap – ná vanjaar waarskynlik effens kleiner is.

“Hulle is kas toe,” sê De Villiers met ’n glimlag.

I would say it more or less comes down to "they are in the looney bin" or "off their rockers" but no, that's one of those Afrikaans sayings that doesn't lend itsself to being translated.

Got to love the man. He's a bloody loon.

 

[Blue]

So Griquas look quite good. Will the Cheetahs use more of their players in the Super Rugby team?

 

[PaarlBok]

Think they'll be stupid not to play them. Dawie Theron is forwards coach in the S14 and myself think with some young talent coming through plus Griquas they will have depth in the S14.

Blue in Paarl speak we use the term "kas" where we lock our wine away, like wine cupboard. In direct term I think he mean they are back in their boxes because I know from first hand experience that club can be quite arrogant in this parts.

 

[PaarlBok]

U19s
Under 19s are your young players , last year still in school and most of them in the provinces Rugby Academies and only the best of them already cotracted by the Unions. Most of them will try and get a contract if they perform well in this competition.

Western Province 5 5 0 0 23
Blue Bulls 5 5 0 0 23
Free State 5 2 2 1 12
Lions 5 2 2 1 12
Sharks 5 2 3 0 11
Leopards 5 0 5 0 2
Griffons 4 0 4 0 0

Now I know the youngsters in WP U19s quite well because most of them is Paarl Gym grown players. The Smith twins play prop for them and the original two powerhouse provinces in SA leading the pack. This weekend's clash berween the two will decide the top of the log.

Friday, October 02
ABSA Under 19 Competition
Free State vs Griffons - 15:30
Saturday, October 03
ABSA Under 19 Competition
SWD vs Eastern Province - 00:00
Boland vs Pumas - 00:00
Blue Bulls vs Western Province - 00:00
Border vs Valke - 12:45
Sharks vs Lions - 13:15

U21s
These players are contracted allready by the provinces and will try and get a senior provincial contract and next level on the structure ladder will be try and get into a Vodacom Cup side for 2010. The reaaly outstanding talented players will get a S14 contract.

P W L D Pts
Blue Bulls 11 9 2 0 40
Sharks 11 7 4 0 36
Western Province 10 8 2 0 35
Free State 10 5 5 0 28
Lions 10 4 6 0 23
Boland 10 2 8 0 12
Leopards 10 1 9 0 9


This weekend matches
Friday, October 02
ABSA Under 21 Competition
Free State vs Leopards - 17:00
Saturday, October 03
ABSA Under 21 Competition
Western Province vs Boland - 00:00
SWD vs Eastern Province - 00:00
Griffons vs Pumas - 00:00
Border vs Valke - 14:00
Sharks vs Lions - 15:00

WP 5 points adrift on the Bulls but have a match in hand.

This more or less give you a look into SA rugby structures below CC senior level.

 

[PaarlBok]

Matches & Teams for the weekend and my thoughts

Cheetahs vs Leopards:
Teams:
Cheetahs – 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Fabian Juries, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Frans Viljoen, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 David de Villiers, 4 Nico Breedt (c), 3 WP Nel, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Wian du Preez.
Subs: 16 Coenie Oosthuizen, 17 Izak van der Westhuizen, 18 Kabamba Floors, 19 JP Joubert, 20 Louis Strydom, 21 JW Jonker, 22 Jongi Nokwe.

first start for Tewis de Bruyn since the S14 tournament. Myself do rate him and if he show some form in this last couple of rounds I'd take him anyday in front of Pie Eater Januarie in the Bok team. Hendro Scholtz replace Brussouw(his first brake for the year and well deserved) and Kabamba on the bench. Ashley Johnson in top nick and hope he retain his impressive form. Nokwe from the bench after his injury. Mapoe the CC player of the month and Juries sure deserve that wing spot. This 7s Bok has been impressive in his last two outings and both this winger scoring some good tries.

Leopards
Danie Dames; Jovan Bowles, Deon van Rensburg, Berndt Theissinger, Bom Samaai; Cecil Dumont, Jean Tiedt; Riaan Swanepoel, Bennie Adams, André Swanepoel ©, Draad Linde, Bradley Mockford, Os van der Walt, Pellow van der Westhuizen, Divan Kotze.

This newbies in the CC nearly gave the Sharks a fright last weekend. They have been in great form and will have some of their Pukke players back after the SA Club Champs. Mockford a pommy playing his trade now with the Mielie Boere.


Prediction: The Tin Ears should bag a 5 pointer and I predict a 12+ win for them.


Bulls vs Griquas:
Teams
Bulls
15 Zane Kirchner; 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (kaptein), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp. Reserwes: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Francois Brummer, 21 John Mametsa, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.

Habana back and bar Bakkies their strongest team. Glad to see the young Rossouw de Klerk , still U20 on their bench.

Griekwas:TBO

They have a few injury problems and willget some reinforcements from WP & Maties.

They will be hungry to get at least a bonus point out of this match (need 3 in their last two matches to qualify for the semi) and showed in the Vodacom Cup they can win in the Ring.

Prediction: This isnt young Bull stock tho and the Bulls will take this one. Bulls by 10+

The South Derby: WeePee vs Boeland
Teams:
WeePee:
Joe Pietersen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Frikkie Welsh, Paul Bosch, Sireli Naqelevuki, Matt To'omua, Ricky Januarie, Luke Watson (captain), Pieter Louw, Francois Louw, Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp, JC Kritzinger, Tiaan Liebenberg and JD Moller.
Reserves: Deon Fourie, Brok Harris, Anton van Zyl, Duane Vermeulen, Bolla Conradie, Conrad Hoffmann, Juan de Jongh.
Boeland:
15 Hayden Groepes, 14 Deon Scholtz, 13 Cornal Hendricks, 12 Dewey Swartbooi, 11 Wendal Wehr, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Junior Bester, 7 Hilton Lobberts, 6 Angelo Brinkhuys, 5 Rito Hlungwane (c), 4 Nico Esterhuyse, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Harry Vermaas, 1 Janro van Niekerk.
Subs: 16 Clemen Lewis, 17 Michael de Neuilly-Rice, 18 Grant le Roux, 19 David Hendricks, 20 Danie van der Merwe, 21 Mark Harris, 22 Justin Peach.


Boland in all sorts of trouble, usually this derbies go close but not this time. WeePee on song and Boeland nowhere.

Prediction: WP by 30+

Sharks vs Lions:
Teams:
Sharks:
15 Stefan Terblanche (c), 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Juan Hernandez, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Keegan Daniel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis,1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 John Smit, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Michael Rhodes, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Monty Dumond, 22 Adrian Jacobs.

Lions – 15 Earl Rose, 14 Michael Killian, 13 Jannie Boshoff, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Johan Jackson, 10 Herkie Kruger, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Derrick Minnie, 6 Baywatch Grobbelaar (c), 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Nico Luus, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Hans Van Dyk, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Subs: 16 Torrie Meyer, 17 Wayne Swart, 18 Willem Stoltz, 19 Todd Clever, 20 Ruan Boshoff, 21 Walter Venter, 22 Pieter Engelbrecht.

Prediction:
Easily the match of the weekend. The Sharks want to stay at the top while the Lions will be desperate. Sharks like the Bulls very close to their best team should take this one , hoping they wont get a bonuspoint.

Sharks by 10+

 

[PaarlBok]

The history of rugby in SA

http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com

The History of South African Rugby


Introduction of Rugby Football to SA

The Dutch began to settle in the Southern tip of Africa from 1652 but it was only with the arrival of permanent British control in 1806 that the economy began to prosper and cultural and political power grew and extended its influence into the region. As elsewhere in the British Empire a wide range of British cultural practices were introduced during the mid 19th century including sports like football and cricket.

The Reverend George Ogilvie (Gog), born in 1826 in Wiltshire, England, is credited with introducing football to South Africa, following his appointment as Headmaster of the Diocesan College at Rondenbosch, near Cape Town in 1861 and remained until 1885. Actually, the game he taught was the Winchester football variety, a game he had learned at his former ‘alma mater’, the well-known Hampshire school, Winchester College, Hampshire England. Soon, the young gentlemen of Cape Town joined in and the local press reported a series of football matches between scratch sides conveniently named ‘Town v Suburbs’, Civil servants v All comers or ‘Home v Colonial-born’ etc. etc. but the first game took place on 21st August 1862 between the Army and the Civil service.

Circa1875 Rugby football began to be played in the Cape colony, though the first club Hamilton RFC formed that year was playing the Winchester game. The following year two further clubs – the Western Province and Villagers – were formed. The former adopted the Rugby rules, while the latter opted for the Winchester code. Indeed it was Winchester Football that the two leading clubs Hamilton and Villager started playing against each other in 1876, and the history of football in South Africa might have been very different, but for the arrival in Cape Town in 1878 of William Henry Milton, the former England back.

By the late 1870s, rugby football was very much battling to survive against Winchester Football and the Western Province club had ceased to exist due to lack of support, but the arrival in Cape Town of William H. Milton in 1878 turned the tide in favour of rugby. Milton, who had played for England only a few years earlier (in 1874 and 1875), joined the Villagers club and started playing and preaching the rugby code. By the end of that year the football playing fraternity in Cape Town had all but abandoned the Winchester game in favour of the Rugby football variety. Ten years later, Milton (later Sir William, the administrator of Southern Rhodesia) represented South Africa at cricket, though by the time the first British tour arrived in 1891, he had given up playing rugby.
In 1883 the W.P.R.F.U. organized the first club competition for a cup, known as the Grand Challenge Cup, also around 1883 the Stellenbosch club was formed and the young Boers from the farming belt took to it likes ducks to water.

Around the same time the game began in Cape Town, started by a number of British regiments and by the end of 1883 Rugby was established right across the coastal belt of the old Cape colony and expanding in popularity. From there it expanded into Kimberley where in 1886 Griqualand West Rugby Union was formed. Next it expanded into the Western Transvaal towns, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom whilst the Cape Town men introduced it to Pretoria and Johannesburg. Inter-town matches between Pretoria and Johannesburg were being played in 1888 and the following year the Transvaal Rugby Football Union was formed. Association football had been introduced to Natal earlier than Rugby and so Rugby took a little longer to get a foothold. But by 1890 clubs had been formed in Pietermaritzburg, the capital and headquarters of the British army, and in Durban.

In 1889 the South African Rugby Football Board was established to link up and govern the various unions. They held their first tournament the same year ay Kimberley where the Western province, Transvaal, Griqualand West and Eastern province competed. The Western province won the tournament and went on to win the next eight.


The First International
In 1891 the first British representative team arrived. This had been negotiated by Mr. J. Richards, a member of a well known Cape Town sporting brotherhood, who had been at the famous Rugby school, Leys at Cambridge. Cecil Rhodes, then prime minister of the Cape Colony, took over the whole financial responsibility.

The team consisted of :

W. E. Maclagan (captain) Scottish International
R. G. Macmillan Scottish International
P. R. Clauss Scottish International
W. Wotherspoon Scottish International
R. L. Aston English International
W. E. Bromet English International
P. F. Hancock English International
W. G. Mitchell English International
H. Marshall Subsequently won English cap.
R. Thompson
A. Rotherham Subsequently won English cap.
E. Bromet
W. A. Lindsay
C. P. Simpson
W. H. Thorman
J. Hammond
W. Jackson
A. A. Surtees
E. Mayfield
J. H. Gould
B. G. Roscoe
T. Whittaker
Edwin Ash from Richmond, Manager

With such a start studded line-up the South African’s were not expected to compete well but the whole point of the exercise was to gain experience and prepare for the future. The British team duly played 19 matches and won all of them racking up 224 points to 1 (50 goals from 50 tries, 39 tries, 6 dropped goals, 7 penalty goals and 1 goal from mark. Charles (“Haasie”) Versfeld from the Hamilton club at Cape Town scored the only try for the visitors (a try being worth 1 point back then). There were three actual test matches and the combined score of the three tests was only 10 nil which was a tremendous effort.
The visit was a very sporting affair and the visitors paid high tribute to the keenness and enthusiasm for the game all over the country and to the individual merits of several players who they said were clearly of international standard.
The British captain brought with him a gold cup which had been a gift from the late Sir Donald Currie, the founder of the Union Castle Steamship line to South Africa with instructions to give it to the centre putting up the best game during the tour. This went to Kimberley. The Griqualand Rugby Union immediately handed this over to the South African Rugby Board to become a perpetual floating inter-center trophy. This is now known as the Currie Cup competition.
The tour had been a great success and players all over South Africa learned a lot and the over standard of play improved immensely with in 1 or 2 years.
At the end of their tour Stellenbosch invited them to play a match in Stellenbosch. This invitation was accepted and on 7 September 1891 Stellenbosch became one of the very few club teams ever to play an international touring team.

Marthinus Daneel, father of George, and Stellenbosch’s wing had already crossed the British goal line but instead of placing the ball for a try; he wanted to be closer to the goalposts. In those days a try counted for one point and a goal for three points. The British were 2-0 ahead and if Marthinus could place the ball under the goalposts Stellenbosch would win.

Unfortunately it was Maclaglan himself who got hold of Daneel and there followed what was called a “maul”. A maul then was a duel between two players in which other players were not allowed to participate. Depending on who won the ball it would either be placed for a try or placed behind the dead ball line. Maclaglan won this maul and Stellenbosch’s chance of winning was lost.

In 1896 the second British team visited and this time in the final match of the tour South Africa beat them 5 – 0 at Cape Town to record South Africa’s first international victory.

In 1903 the British came again and this time they could only win 11 matches, lost 8 and drew 3.
Until the last test of the1903 series, the South African team donned either white jerseys or jerseys in the colours of the Union/club hosting the match and had no badge on their jerseys and, in fact, white is even today South Africa’s alternative kit. However, before the third and final test at Newlands the then South African captain Barry H. Heatlie was asked by an unnamed official to consider changing the habit, with the view of giving South Africa a permanent jersey. Heatley, one of the greats of South Africa’s pioneering period, recalled the moment green was adopted as the jersey colour: “At the time I had on hand a supply of dark green jerseys, the colours of the defunct Old Diocesan’s Club. It was decided to wear those jerseys at Newlands, and ever since South African fifteens have been clad in green.”

The First Tour
In 1905 the famous New Zealanders made their tour of the mother country with tremendous success and this spurred the South Africans to do the same so in 1906 the first International tour to the United Kingdom was organized with the team captained by Paul Roos and vice-captained by H. J. Carolin. Regarding the Springbok badge, the manager of the 1906 tour John. Cecil “Daddy” Carden, observed that it existed when the team left South Africa. In a letter to the author of the history of SA Rugby Ivor Difford, Carden quoted an article published by the London Daily Mail on September 20, 1906, as follows: “The team’s colours will be myrtle green jerseys with gold collar. They would wear dark blue shorts and dark blue stockings and the jersey would have been embroidered in mouse-coloured silk on the left breast a springbok, a small African antelope…”
The name Springboks, an anglicised version of the Afrikaans word Springbokken, was the brainchild of skipper Roos, vice-captain Carolin and manager Carden, as the latter recalled: “No uniforms or blazers had been provided and we were a motley turn-out at practice at Richmond. That evening, I spoke to Roos and Carolin and pointed out that the witty London Press would invent some funny name for us, if we did not invent one ourselves. We thereupon agreed to call ourselves ‘Springboks’, and to tell pressmen that we desired to be so named… I at once ordered the dark green, gold-edged blazers and still have the first Springbok pocket badge that was made”.

Note: 1780 – Eberhard August Wilhelm Von Zimmerman, a German geographer and zoologist first scientifically classifies the ANTIDORCAS MARSUPIALIS, a small common gazelle of South Africa commonly known as the SPRINGBOK – now the emblem and name of the South African national rugby union team

The results speak for themselves:

Played Won
Lost
Drawn
For
Against

28
25
2
1
533
79




Text Match Result For
Against

South Africa v Scotland Lost 0
6

South Africa v Ireland Won 15
12

South Africa v Wales Won 11
0

South Africa v England Drawn 3
3

 

[PaarlBok]

Some big scores this weekend except the Lions vs Sharks.

Sharks 19 - 17 Lions
The Sharks look like doing the S14 all over again in the CC. They started this game just if they need to pitch up to bag a 5 pointer and nearly drop this one against a determined Lions young outfit. Surely Jake Whites hand starting to show in the Lions and if they have started with the young guns in the backline and specially Clever they would have eaten them alive. Clever, Baywatch and the young Minnie (bliksem what a brutal player this youngster is going to be) dont stand one step back for the big name players like Bismarck & kie. Add in Rose who played a neaut on saturday and they nearly got this one. The Sharks midfield with Hernandez, Strauss & Murray look like the area to target and Doppies cut there for the first try. Hernandez dont like the hard CC stuff and Herkie Kruger with his pot eye gave him the fright of the day. First time I see a player getting a put eye and the ref ask him to leave the field in minutes but no way Herkie wanted to do that. I sure felt for the Lions and thought they deserved a win for their effort but at least they did not gave away a bonuspoint.

Blue Bulls 61 - 27 Griquas
With Habana playing his last match for the Brutes in the Ring in blue clothing and celebrate it with two tries. The Brutes only need Bakkies back now to be on full trottle sure show they are the favourates to win the CC. You are not going to stop this lot no matter where you play them but at least Griquas in desperate need op 3 log points got one for scoring 4 tries.

Western Province 50 - 7 Boland
WP playing without many of their usual lot was just to strong for the Bolanders. WP needed a 5 pointer and get that with two tries to spare. Boland will have to produce something special to not going to the lower league.

Cheetahs 60 - 17 Leopards
After a good opening spell for the Mielie Boere (Leopards) at the start their wheels came of heavily in the second half. The Tin Ears just to strong at the moment and once again a MOTM performance from Ashley Johnson in 8.

Log Standing before the last Round:
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA BPts Pts
1 Vodacom Western Province 13 10 0 3 420 199 221 48 16 9 49
2 Sharks 13 11 0 2 379 201 178 41 17 5 49
3 Vodacom Blue Bulls 13 8 0 5 414 275 139 47 25 9 41
4 GWK Griquas 13 8 0 5 374 402 -28 46 45 7 39
5 Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 13 7 0 6 430 270 160 53 26 7 35
6 Xerox Lions 13 6 0 7 364 267 97 40 23 9 33
7 Platinum Leopards 13 1 0 12 234 521 -287 24 70 2 6
8 Boland 13 1 0 12 169 649 -480 16 93 1 5

WP top the log at the moment on point differense and some interesting final matches. WP & the Sharks bagged home semis and will have to produce some special rugby in the last round to decide the probable home finalist for the top placed team. WP have to travel to Bobbejaansberg to play a difficult Lion lot while the Sharks have to travel to the Groot Gat to play Griquas who need 2 points to topple the Tin Ears semi changes for that 4th spot. The Brutes have nail their 3rd position. The WP vs Lions match is the last one and they'll know what will be needed to secure the top position. They'll rather have a semi on Newlands against either Griquas or Tin Ears then the Brute lot. Want them and the Sharks to fight it out in the Tank.

U21s Log:
WP 40
Sharks 40 (1 match more then the Bulls & WP)
Brutes 40
Cheetahs 33
Lions 23

Boland 12
Leopards 9

U19s Log:
Bulls 27
WP 23
Lions 17
Cheetahs 16
Sharks 12
Leopards 2
Griffons 0

 

[BillyWebb]

Province should wallop the Lions who have a raft of injury worries - again!
That will put them top of the pile with a home semi and probable home final.

Best case for WP is that Griquas get at least 2 points out of their final league game against the Sharks.
And given that the game is in Kimberley, where the Sharks struggle a bit, this is distinctly possible.

So for my money, the semis will be:

Sharks vs Bulls in Durban

WP vs Griquas in Cape Town

Should give Province a pretty easy road to the finals.
BUT, if Griquas fail to secure points, and the Cheetahs bag 5, then a WP v Cheetahs semi will be cosiderably more tricky...

 

[PaarlBok]

Yep dont matter the way it goes but the big favourate are the Bulls even if they play these semis and finals on the moon.

WP sure have grown in a tight unit these days , the Brutes with players like Habana, M Steyn, FdP, Spies, Bakkies & Matfield have players that is not only the best in SA but world class and they have bagged all available silverware . Mind you they havent win the CC in 5 years and Habana never played in a CC winning side for them. So the hunger will be there.

For myself Ijust wish WP make the finals and if they win it , I'll take that as a bonus.

 

[PaarlBok]

Some interesting crowd compariso0ns between the two SA traditional powerhouse provinces

Sport24

Currie Cup

More WP fans attending games

Cape Town - Derby games in the Super14 and strength versus strength in the Currie Cup.

When attendance figures at Loftus Versfeld and Newlands are analysed, that is clearly what South African rugby supporters want.

The economic recession also took its toll on rugby, with the average attendance at Loftus lower in the Super14 this year than when they won the competition in 2007.

“In eight games in the Super14 this year, we got 290 878 people through the gates at an average of 36 360 per game,” said Bulls stadiums and events manager Hugo Kemp.

“In 2007 it was 289 001 in seven games at an average of 41 286.”

Kemp believes “economic conditions” played a part in the decrease of average attendances from 2007 to 2009.

There was an increase this year on 2008, but the average attendance of 25 268 last year was because of the Bulls’ poor performances.

Newlands’ figures tell a story of a very loyal support base, though there was a decrease with the Stormers’ poor performances this year.

Last year the Bulls attracted the biggest crowd to Newlands (47 896) and this year it was the Sharks (47 604).

The average attendance at Newlands in the Super14 decreased from 44 512 in 2008 to 33 198 this year.

On the positive side, Western Province’s success in the Currie Cup this year has gripped the imagination of the Cape public.

Last year the average attendance was 19 885, with the biggest crowd 36 697 in WP’s last league game against the Lions.

This year the average is 22 463 with the best attendance 43 042 against the Blue Bulls.

With three international games added to the mix, 504 268 spectators have passed through the Newlands gates this year.

 

[PaarlBok]

OK so we get to the final round robin CC matches and two very important matches. Bok players not playing due to injury are Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies & Habana. Jac Fourie still waiting his faith to decide if he will stay or go to WP /Stormers.

Fixtures

Friday

Platinum Leopards v Vodacom Blue Bulls Phokeng 19:00 Platinum Leopards – Colin Lloyd, Nicky Kritzinger, Jovan Bowles, Japie Nel, Shuaib Samaai, Cecil Dumont, Michael Bondesio, Christo van Niekerk, Thabo Mamojele, Wilhelm Koch (c), Draad Linde, Bradley Mockford, Os van der Walt, Gavin Williamson, Nardus Lombard.
Reserves: Pellow van der Westhuizen, Philip Lemmer, Bennie Adams, RW Kember, Theo van Wyk, Clayton Durand, Berndt Theissinger.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Zane Kirchner, Francois Hougaard, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Gerhard van den Heever, Morné Steyn, Heini Adams, Danie Rossouw, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (c), Bakkies Botha, Werner Kruger, Derick Kuün, Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Reserves: Bandise Maku, Rossouw de Klerk, Pedrie Wannenburg, Flip van der Merwe, Fourie du Preez, Burton Francis, John Mametsa.

Prediction: Bulls by 50

The Brutes will have Bakkies & FdP back and the Leopards made some wholesale changes in their backline to rest players for their relegation matches coming up.

Saturday

GWK Griquas v Sharks Kimberley

GWK Griquas – Riaan Viljoen, Bjorn Basson, Jaco Bekker, Barry Geel, Trompie Nontshinga, Naas Olivier, Sarel Pretorius, Jonathan Mokuena (c), Davon Raubenheimer, Wesley Wilkins, Jacques Lombard, Cecil-John Kemp, Ruaan du Preez, Rayno Barnes, Albertus Buckle.
Reserves: Andries Kruger, Drew van Coller/Eric Coetzee, Brendon Snyman, Heinrich Stride, Donald Stevens, Wilmaure Louw, Gavin Passens.

The Sharks – Stefan Terblanche (c), Odwa Ndungane, Adrian Jacobs, Riaan Swanepoel, JP Pietersen, Juan Hernandez, Ruan Pienaar, Ryan Kankowski, Michael Rhodes, Keegan Daniel, Alistair Hargreaves, Steven Sykes, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.
Reserves: Craig Burden, Jannie du Plessis, Albert van den Berg, Jean Deysel, Rory Kockott, Andries Strauss, Waylon Murray.

Prediction: Griquas by less then 10

The Sharks have their full team. Both teams desperate to get a win, Griquas want 2 poimts Sharks as many as possible. Their over eagerness will cost them, on their least hunting ground at the Groot Gat of Kimberley.

Boland v Vodacom Free State Cheetahs Wellington

Boland Cavaliers – Hayden Groepes, Deon Scholtz, Cornal Hendricks, PJ Vermeulen, Wendal Wehr, Danré Gerber, Charlie King, Junior Bester, Hilton Lobberts, David Hendricks, Rito Hlungwane (c), Nico Esterhuyse, Jacobie Adriaanse, Harry Vermaas, Janro van Niekerk.
Reserves: Clemen Lewis, Michael de Neuilly-Rice, George Earl, Angelo Brinkhuys, Danie van der Merwe, Dewey Swartbooi, Elgar Watts.

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – Hennie Daniller, Danwel Demas, Corné Uys, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe, Louis Strydom, Tewis de Bruyn, Ashley Johnson, Frans Viljoen, Heinrich Brüssow, David de Villiers, Nico Breedt (c), Coenie Oosthuizen, Richardt Strauss, Wian du Preez.
Reserves: WP Nel, Izak van der Westhuizen, Hendro Scholtz, Kabamba Floors, JP Joubert, JW Jonker, Fabian Juries.

Prediction: Cheetahs by 40

Boland in disarray and the Cheetahs desperate and on song.

Xerox Lions v Vodacom Western Province Johannesburg

Xerox Lions – Earl Rose, Dusty noble, Jannie Boshoff, Doppies la Grange, Johan Jackson, Herkie Kruger, Chris Jonck, Willem Alberts, Derick Minnie, Cobus Grobbelaar, Franco van der Merwe, Nico Luus, Kevin Buys, Hans van Dyk, JC Janse van Rensburg.
Reserves: Torrie Meyer, Wayne Swart, Willem Stoltz, Todd Clever, Ruan Boshoff, Walter Venter, Michael Killian.

Vodacom Western Province – Joe Pietersen, Tonderai Chavhanga, Frikkie Welsh, Juan de Jongh, Sireli Naqelevuki, Peter Grant, Ricky Januarie, Luke Watson, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Andries Bekker, Anton van Zyl, JC Kritzinger, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wikus Blaauw.
Reserves: Deon Fourie, JD Moller, De Kock Steenkamp, Pieter Louw, Dewaldt Duvenhage, Matthew To’omua, Gio Aplon.

Prediction: WP by 14

WP plays for top spot and the Lions only for pride. Cant understand why the Lions havent tried their youngster backline and specially Clever on the run on team.

 

[BillyWebb]

Pretty big call on the Sharks v Griquas game Paarl.
But your reasoning is sound. Kimberley is not a good hunting ground for the Sharks.
It's going to be a rough & tough old business that game.

As for Province, I expect them to wallop the Lions by considerably more than 14.
The Lions will operate a notch under their best knowing they pretty much have nothing left to play for.

 

[PaarlBok]

Ah I am sure on paper the Sharks should dish them easily , was more tipping with the heart or what I wish.

Read now the Argies and Namibia will join the Vodacom Cup Competition next year. Think that is excellent news, they'll settle in Stellenbosch and will play the south section while Namibia will play the north section.

 

[BillyWebb]

Ah I am sure on paper the Sharks should dish them easily , was more tipping with the heart or what I wish.

Read now the Argies and Namibia will join the Vodacom Cup Competition next year. Think that is excellent news, they'll settle in Stellenbosch and will play the south section while Namibia will play the north section.

The Argies?! Really?!
Wow, that would be fantastic.
Do you have a link to the story?

 

[BillyWebb]

I also see Burton Francis is leaving the Bulls to join the Lions next season.
He hasn't had tons of opportunity at the Bulls, but I've always liked the little I've seen.

Know much about him?