Currie Cup
DHL Western Province Under-21 coach John Dobson has announced his team for Saturday’s 2012 Absa Under-21 Final against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban (kick-off 14:00 SA Time).
Regular Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup starters Francois Venter and Arno Botha have been included in the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 squad to play DHL Western Province on Saturday.
With the first game done and dusted already in the Currie Cup Premier Division Promotion / Relegation series and the EP Kings needing a mighty 40 point win, including bonus point for tries, it is an uphill battle for the men from Eastern Province.
We see calls from EP’s Alan Solomons going out not to judge the EP Kings and Southern Kings on these two games, but seriously, what else are we supposed to do?
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs is hardly featuring a full Free State side, let alone a full Super Rugby side, due to the plethera of injuries they are currently experiencing, coupled to the fact that the Griquas portion of their Super Rugby Franchise is NOT included in these games at all.
What we DO KNOW is that the mainstay of these two Super Rugby Franchises will be players from the respective Currie Cup sides, so the current reflection is the nearest we can come to judging what might transpire next year in Super Rugby at the Southern Kings.
Well, enough of that, we have to concentrate on Friday’s Promotion / Relegation game first and foremost, and here’s the Team sheets for this encounter:
We read all kinds of articles in the build up to a final and one can point out one hundred reasons why a team could win and why the opponents can win, but for me the mental preparation is really one of the most important parts in the buildup.
It matters not what we as supporters believe or say in the press or on blogs or on whatever other forum, what matters is pretty simple!!!
Vodacom Blue Bulls player Mornè Steyn has been suspended for one week of rugby after being found guilty by a SARU Judicial Officer on Tuesday.
Die Blou Bulle Maatskappy (Edms) Bpk is verheug om te bevestig dat Pierre Spies sy kontrak met die BBM tot November 2015 verleng het.
The Free State Cheetahs started preparations for round two of their battle with the Eastern Province Kings facing a new injury crisis.
Word out of Durban so far is that all is going according to plan, even with an adjustment either way to the team dynamics, depending on coach John Plumtree’s planning.
Would there be changes to the team? my prediction is one or two at most, but much depends of returning injured players as well as weather conditions. One would ask the question, but why make a change to a winning team? the answer simply being that much depends on how the coach sees the opposition and how they will play and how the make up of his team can counter any threats they pose.
The Sharks will host DHL Western Province in this year’s Absa Currie Cup final after wildly contrasting victories over the Vodacom Blue Bulls and defending champions the MTN Golden Lions respectively in Saturday’s semi-finals.
Jaco Peyper will referee the Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
Lions (3) 16 / 21 (6) WP (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and DHL Western Province did battle in the 2nd Currie Cup, Premier Division Semi-final at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
Man of the Match: Eben Etzebeth
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Sharks (9) 20 / 3 (0) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Sharks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the 1st Currie Cup, Premier Division Semi-final at Mr Price Kings Park at 16:30 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
Man of the Match – Patrick Lambie
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Cheetahs (24) 53 / 14 (0) Kings (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and EP Kings did battle in the first of two Promotion / Relegation games to determine entry for the Currie Cup, Premier Division for 2013 at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-final matches.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union announced the MTN Golden Lions team to play DHL Western Province on Saturday, 20 October 2012 in the second semi-final match of the 2012 Absa Currie Cup competition.
Volksblad reports that GWK Griquas have finalised their contracts for the 2013 season. Though there aren’t any notable new signings, some loan players have been contracted.
It’s crunch-time in the Currie Cup, with only semi-finals and finals remaining but only one of the four semi-final sides, the Blue Bulls have a clean bill of health on their 22 squad players.
Coenie Oosthuisen has been ruled out for between 8 – 12 weeks with a back injury, which basically rules him out for the rest of 2012.
The Currie Cup Semi-finalists have been confirmed following the last game of the open rounds, the game between the MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg.
Although the watered down Currie Cup, without the Springbok players for most of the season, has clearly lost popularity judging from the low spectator numbers at all the Currie Cup games, the good thing to come from the competition was the levelling of the playing field between the 6 competing sides.
In addition, some bright new future prospects have really come to the fore during the competition, players like Raymond Rhule – speed merchant from the Free State Cheetahs, Scarra Ntubeni – young hooker from Western Province, Ruan Combrinck – winger of the Golden Lions and Marnus Schoeman – flanker from the Griquas.
ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division – Log
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | BPts | Pts |
1 | The Sharks | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 292 | 233 | 59 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 35 |
2 | MTN Golden Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 285 | 279 | 6 | 26 | 28 | 4 | 28 |
3 | DHL Western Province | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 272 | 226 | 46 | 28 | 19 | 5 | 25 |
4 | Vodacom Blue Bulls | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 280 | 291 | -11 | 24 | 31 | 3 | 23 |
5 | GWK Griquas | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 250 | 313 | -63 | 28 | 35 | 4 | 20 |
6 | Toyota Free State Cheetahs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 268 | 305 | -37 | 26 | 33 | 6 | 18 |
Lions (16) 29 / 50 (22) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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WP (22) 36 / 15 (3) Cheetahs (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and the Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (22) 42 / 3 (3) Griquas (Final Score)
The Sharks and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.
Continue reading
Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen will undergo knee surgery on Tuesday which will rule him out of action for the rest of the year.
Rising star Raymond Rhule was chosen by his peers as the Players Player of the Year for the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
The Currie Cup, Premier Division only has one week to go in the regular rounds, before the semi-finals… and still there is all six teams in with a chance of winning the eventual title.
Cheetahs (10) 30 / 37 (15) Sharks (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and The Sharks did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, 6, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Griquas (14) 37 / 21 (18) Lions (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and the MTN Golden Lions did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at GWK Park, Kimberley at 14:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Blue Bulls (11) 26 / 13 (3) WP (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and DHL Western Province did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Loftus Versveld at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Herewith a team by team breakdown of the selected sides for this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division matches.
Continue reading
The Golden Lions Rugby Union have issued a press release listing new player contract signings, and current player contract extensions.
Possibly the most significant signing is that of Warwick Tecklenberg, the promising young loose forward from the Blue Bulls.
Other exciting youngsters include a number of the victorious SA Under 20 World Championship winning side, all of whom should go a long way to building the Lions’ squad for their expected return to Super Rugby in 2014.
Also notable is that Lions stalwart of the last few years Derek Minnie, has re-commited until the end of 2014.
The full press release reads:
The dreaded injury bogey and looseforward curse has struck Heinrich Brüssow, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Springbok flank yet again.
WP (3) 9 / 21 (6) Lions (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and the MTN Golden Lions did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Newlands, Cape Town at 14:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 5 on TV in SA.
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Cheetahs (17) 35 / 20 (6) Griquas (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 14:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, M-Net on TV in SA.
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Sharks (5) 13 / 12 (9) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Sharks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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