Currie Cup
DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has made four changes to his team for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup meeting with the MTN Golden Lions at DHL Newlands (kick-off 14h00).
Halfbacks Louis Schreuder and Demetri Catrakilis will start in the backline, whilst fit-again flanker Rynhardt Elstadt returns at No.7, which sees Michael Rhodes shift back into the second row where he began the Absa Currie Cup season.
Schreuder and Catrakilis come in for Nic Groom and Kurt Coleman, respectively, with Rhodes replacing youngster Tazz Fuzani in the No.4 jersey. Scrumhalf Groom and flyhalf Coleman will warm the bench this week, but lock Fuzani drops out altogether with loose forwards Schalk Burger and Josh Katzen continuing amongst the replacements.
Toyota Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has made some subtle changes to his team selections after the loss to DHL Western Province last weekend and ahead of the Round 9 Currie Cup match against GWK Griquas at GWK Park in Kimberley.
Sharks flank Jacques Botes will equal the record for the most Currie Cup matches played when he runs out to face the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Friday (19:10 kick-off).
Botes was on Wednesday included in the Sharks starting team and will equal former Free State centre Helgard Muller on 142 Currie Cup games.
He has played 115 games for the Sharks and 26 for the Pumas.
Sharks skipper Keegan Daniel will also achieve a milestone by playing in his 100th Currie Cup game for the union.
I am virtually speechless, gobb-smacked… I actually touched rugby history today!
Rugby-Talk was invited to the grand opening of the Ellis Park Rugby Museum, which happened this morning.
The museum boasts probably the biggest single collection of rugby memorabilia in South Africa and probably the entire world, with memorabilia from the earliest days of rugby, rugby in South Africa both Provincially and on a Franchise level and of course probably the biggest element being the fantastic Springbok collection.
There are International jerseys, blasers, signed balls, penadants, artworks as well as other visual elements from all over, it is mind-boggling and to do justice to the exhibition one actually needs several hours to see everything properly, let alone study every ehibit.
The collection is owned by Swys Joubert, who played Provincial rugby in SA, and also played rugby in the UK and France.
Firstly, well done Swys, what an awesome experience!
Bjorn Basson will make a welcome return to the Vodacom Blue Bulls side to play The Sharks in an Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The winger, who scored two tries in his only appearance for the Blue Bulls in the competition this year, has been released by the Springboks ahead of their test match against New Zealand in Johannesburg.
Springbok Marcell Coetzee will play for the Sharks this week, but he will only come off the bench against the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday.
Demetri Catrakilis looks set to start at flyhalf for DHL Western Province for the first time since returning to the Absa Currie Cup champions from the Southern Kings.
WP face the MTN Golden Lions at Newlands on Saturday in a match they hope will clinch them their home semifinal spot and, if they win, also set up a log decider against the Sharks in Durban the following weekend.
Injury is likely to rule Golden Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies out for the remainder of the Currie Cup season.
DHL Western Province will be boosted with 3 key players returning to the training squad this week after injury lay-offs.
SARU have made a public statement about the format of the Currie Cup PremierDivision for 2014.
In short, the proposed expansion to 8 teams from the current 6, has been rejected by a Special General Council meeting of the stakeholders of SA Rugby.
The Media Release reads as follows:
The Jake White saga continues as the most recent indications are that Brendan Venter will be leaving his temporary position as Sharks Director of Rugby at the end of the 2013 Currie Cup, making way for the appointment of Jake White in the same position.
Last week it was rumoured that White could become the new Director of Rugby at the Sharks, but Brendan Venter was already in the position and uncertainty surrounded whether Venter would stay on.
How big is the role that bonus points play in rugby these days? Are teams and specifically SA teams scared of bonus points or impotent to get them?
Has the bonus point hurdle become to high for SA teams to get over, or are SA teams just coached wrong in terms of bonus points?
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.
Griquas (10) 10 / 52 (15) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
GWK Park, Kimberley at 14:00 SA Time (12:00 GMT).
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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Golden Lions (20) 25 / 31 (16) Sharks (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and The Sharks did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
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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FS Cheetahs (17) 27 / 29 (13) WP (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and DHL Western Province did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
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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As we enter Round 8 of the 2013 Currie Cup, the Sharks and Western Province are setting the pace at the top of the Log, with 24 Log points each. The Griquas find themselves in last place with only 10 Log points.
With only 2 rounds remaining after this weekend the Sharks and Western Province have probably already booked their places in the semi-finals. The Blue Bulls find themselves in a must win scenario this weekend as a loss this weekend could see them end last on the Log and totally miss out in the race for a semi final place, they now already find themselves 5 Log points behind the 4th placed Free State Cheetahs.
The Golden Lions, fresh off their second round win over the Blue Bulls to complete the double over their local rivals, await The Sharks at Ellis Park this Friday evening in a massive Absa Currie Cup clash.
The Lions are in third place, four points adrift of The Sharks and Western Province who occupy top and second spot respectively on the log, both on 24 points, and defeating The Sharks would greatly improve their chances of hosting a semi-final.
MTN Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to take on The Sharks at Ellis Park this Friday evening.
Ackermann has made just two changes to his starting side for the ABSA Currie Cup round eight clash.
The recall of a fit-again Handré Pollard, first starts to William Small-Smith and David Bullbring and returns for Sampie Mastriet and Marcel van der Merwe highlights the Vodacom Blue Bulls team announcement ahead of their Absa Currie Cup clash against GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
In all, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made six changes to his starting line-up, with Jurgen Visser also returning at fullback and Clayton Blommetjies dropping to the bench.
Springbok tourist Raymond Rhule is one of four players who felt the wrath of Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské axe.
The Cheetahs host defending champions Western Province in a crucial Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein on Friday.
The resignations of head coach Pote Human and Abre Minnie have been confirmed by Griqualand West Rugby Union.
Both these members will be leaving Griquas at the end of the 2013 Currie Cup season.
Defending champions DHL Western Province have received a big boost ahead of Friday evening’s Absa Currie Cup away clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs with the return of fit-again forwards Deon Fourie and Schalk Burger.
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend strengthened their chances of home semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas continued their struggle to make their presence felt.
With only three pool rounds remaining the Sharks and Western Province need only two more log points to cement their semifinal places, while the Blue Bulls and Griquas face a daunting task to sneak into the semifinals after each side managed to secure only a bonus point this weekend.
DHL Western Province have probably lost Juan de Jongh for their next two matches after the centre was called up by the Springboks on Sunday, but they should be significantly boosted for Friday’s crucial Absa Currie Cup clash with the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
WP were set back before their match against the GWK Griquas at Newlands at the start of the weekend by the late withdrawal of big blindside flanker Rynhardt Elstadt.
The Sharks revelled in their ‘best performance of the season’ after thrashing the Free State Cheetahs to climb top of the Currie Cup table in Durban on Saturday.
Both forwards coach Brad Macleod-Henderson and captain Keegan Daniel hailed the seven-try, 50-26 bonus-point win as the Durban side’s best performance to date.
The EP Kings, SWD Eagles and Leopards this weekend all booked their semifinal berths in the Absa Currie Cup First Division alongside log-leaders, the Steval Pumas, with one pool round remaining.
Golden Lions (13) 35 / 26 (7) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
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 (26) 50 / 26 (16) FS Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Sharks and Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Kings Park, Durban at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT).
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 (6) 19 / 13 (10) Griquas (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and GWK Griquas did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
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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As we enter Round 7 of the 2013 Currie Cup, WP is setting the pace at the top of the Log, with 20 Log points. The Griquas find themselves in last place with 9 Log points.
A win for the Shark and Western Province this weekend could almost assure them of a semi final spot, in this scenario the Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions and Blue Bulls are still fighting for the last two spots. A loss for the Griquas this weekend could see them remain in last position.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann has made several changes to the team that lost 26-23 to the Cheetahs last week.
Cheetahs lock Lood de Jager has recovered from a concussion to take his place in the team to face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The young De Jager, who made a big impression in Super Rugby this year, replaces Teboho Mohoje in the only change to the side that beat the Golden Lions last week.
Two more Southern Kings players have decided to make their futures elsewhere, bringing the tally to 10 so far. Cornell du Preez will join Solly (Alan Solomons) in Edinburgh, and Nicolas Vergallo will join French club, Lyon.
The players who have now already left the Southern Kings are: Nicolas Vergallo, Cornell du Preez, Daniel Adongo, Waylon Murray, Bandise Maku, Jacques Engelbrecht, David Bulbring, SP Marais, Wesley Dunlop and Dimetri Catrakilis. Alan Solomons of course has also jumped ship to Edinburgh.
Plagued by injuries to key players, GWK Griquas coach Pote Human was forced to reshuffle his starting line-up for the Absa Currie Cup encounter against DHL Western Province at Newlands on Friday evening.
Utility forward Carel Greeff has been ruled out for the next couple of weeks after he broke his hand in Griquas’ home game against the Sharks last weekend in Kimberley.