Springboks
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Lions (8) 17 / Cheetahs (3) 10 (Final Score)
The MTN Lions host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match is broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
In a hard fought match and exciting end to the match, the Lions were victorius.
WP (3) 19 / Sharks (9) 21 (Final Score)
DHL Western Province hosted The Sharks at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
In terrible weather conditions, the Sharks just had enough in the tank to beat DHL Western Province, by only 2 points.
Pumas (0) 12 / Blue Bulls (10) 16 (Final Score)
The Ford Pumas hosted the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 17:00 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
Ryan Kankowski has been drafted into the Sharks team to play Western Province on Friday after he was released from the Springbok squad on Wednesday.
The Currie Cup Premier Division will be contested by six teams from 2012 and eight teams will play in the Currie Cup First Division, the SARU General Council decided today at a meeting in Newlands.
A final decision on the Currie Cup’s new format will be made in Cape Town on Thursday at the SA Rugby Union’s (Saru) general council meeting, Leopards president Andre May confirmed on Wednesday.
Griquas have named their Currie Cup team to face the Leopards in a Currie Cup rugby match on Friday at GWK Park.
Former Captain Clayton Durand has been named in the Leopards Currie Cup starting line up for their match against the Griquas at GWK Park on Friday.
Sharks coach John Plumtree has made several changes to his Currie Cup team to play Western Province in Friday’s Currie Cup clash at Newlands.
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse has named his Currie Cup team to face the Blue Bulls in their Nelspruit Currie Cup match on Friday.
The Lions made one change and two positional switches to their side ahead of Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Cheetahs in Johannesburg.
Two injuries has forced Toyota Cheetahs coach, Naka Drotske, to re-shuffle his team for this weekend’s match against the Lions.
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has made two changes to his team, both of them in the front row, for the clash with defending Currie Cup champions the Sharks at Newlands this weekend.
Returning Springboks Wynand Olivier and Bjorn Basson will be amongst the four new faces in the Vodacom Blue Bulls backline for their Absa Currie Cup clash against the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
The MTN Golden Lions are the only unbeaten team left in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division following their victory at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and defeats to The Sharks and DHL Western Province earlier during the weekend.
Currie Cup Premier Division cellar dwellars, The Vodacom Blue Bulls, have received a bit of good news. The newly signed scrum half, Jano Vermaak, is available to play for them with immediate effect. This will most certainly boost the Blue Bulls, who are in the unfamiliar position of last on the Currie Cup Premier Log.
Blue Bulls (19) 27 / Lions (16) 36 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hosted the MTN Golden Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Blue Bulls were just too ill-diciplined and Flip van der Merwe earned tow yellow cards, turning the final one into Red, whilst the Lions were mostly well diciplined and controlled all game.
The Lions deserved their win.
Cheetahs 28 / WP 22 (Final Score)
The Toyota Freestate Cheetahs beat the DHL Western Province in a boring game dominated by the boot of the two flyhalves. Only 2 tries were scored, one each way. The game saw the return of Heinrich Brussow.
Griquas (14) 43 / Sharks (16) 22 (Final Score)
GWK Griquas hosted The Sharks at GWK Park, Kimberley at 19:10. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
GWK Griquas eserved their bonus point win, scoring 4 tries to 1.
Allister Coetzee, head coach of DHL WP, today named his team to take on the Cheetahs at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday 6 August.
The Cheetahs have recalled their big guns for the game against Western Province in Bloemfontein this weekend.
Sharks coach John Plumtree has chosen to stick with his players who have kept the Sharks unbeaten in this year’s Currie Cup instead of bringing back a raft of Springboks.
Twenty year old Francois Venter is set to make his first Absa Currie Cup start for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their fixture against the Golden Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The log leading MTN Golden Lions have made 3 changes from the side that defeated the Leopards last week for the clash against the Vodacom Blue Bulls this weekend.
In a move to replace the soon to be departed Fourie Du Preez, the Bulls have signed the Lions scrumhalf with a contract from the beginning of 2012 until the end of the Currie Cup in 2013.
Sharks coach John Plumtree says he may not pick some of his Springboks returning for this weekend’s Currie Cup action.
The Sharks take on Griquas in Kimberley on Friday.
A group of 23 players involved in the Springboks’ preliminary World Cup squad have been released back to their clubs and provinces to be available for Currie Cup selection this weekend.
The list includes 15 of the 29 players who were part of the squad for the away leg of the Tri-Nations Series.
Thirty seven tries were scored during a high action weekend of Currie Cup Premier Division action as Western Province, The Sharks, the Golden Lions and Griquas all recorded bonus point victories.
Adding the 33 tries scored in the three Currie Cup First Division matches on Friday, a total of 70 tries were scored across the country this weekend, amounting to an average of a staggering 10 tries per match.
WP (21) 35 / Blue Bulls (7) 7 (Final Score)
DHL Western Province hosted the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
DHL Western Province was full value for their fans, scoring the vital bonus point try and keeping their defence nearly impecable, making it almost impossible for the Blue Bulls to score.
Well done DHL Western Province, back to the drawing board, Vodacom Blue Bulls!
Sharks (31) 43 / Cheetahs (17) 34 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the Free State Cheetahs at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 15:00 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Sharks raced to their 4 try bonus point, took just outside 20 minutes to achieve it, then scored some more and it looked like quite a rout…
… But the Cheetahs were not done yet and clawed their way back with some great tries of their own, eventually losing by only 9 points.
Pumas (7) 33 / Griquas (34) 37 (Final Score)
The Ford Pumas hosted the GWK Griquas at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
The GWK Griquas started like a house on fire and by halftime had built up a 27-point lead, then the Ford Pumas came hard and fast at them, eventually ending only 7 points away from a draw.
Good entertaining and hard running rugby played by both sides.
ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division
29 July 2011
Ford Pumas v GWK Griquas , Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit 19:00 LIVE
30 July 2011
The Sharks v Toyota Free State Cheetahs , Mr Price Kings Park, Durban 15:00 LIVE
MTN Golden Lions v Platinum Leopards , Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg 17:00
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Blue Bulls , DHL Newlands, Cape Town 17:05 LIVE
ABSA Currie Cup First Division
29 July 2011
Regent Boland Cavaliers v Valke , Boland Stadium, Wellington 15:00 LIVE
Eastern Province Kings v Tasol Solar Griffons , Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, PE 19:00
SWD Eagles v Border Bulldogs , Outeniqua Park, George 19:00
The MTN Golden Lions have made only one change to the run on team to take on the Leopards at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday from the team that beat Griquas so comprehensively last week.
Captain Doppies la Grange is rested to ensure he recovers fully from his hamstring strain.
He is replaced by Alwyn Hollenbach, with Joshua Strauss taking over the Captains reigns as expected.
Michael Rhodes returns from suspension to start on the reserves bench.
Herewith all of the MTN Golden Lions teams to take on the Leopards:
The Vodacom Blue Bulls will play with the same run-on side against Western Province on Saturday as the one that that smashed the Free State Cheetahs in the second half on the weekend.
Van Rooyen to start for u.21’s against Western Province.
Van der Merwe to take on Western Province in u.19 game.