Western Province
Bismarck du Plessis has been cleared of his stamping charges and would in all likelyhood be included in The Sharks team to face Western Province in the Currie Cup final on Saturday.
Western Province’s in-form flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis has earned the ultimate compliment for his ability to dictate play.
No less a personality than Naas Botha, the former Springbok string-puller in the position, suggested at the weekend that the 24-year-old “might have the best tactical kicking game of all (South African) fly-halves”.
Deon Fourie may not get the opportunity to lift the Absa Currie Cup for a second consecutive time at Newlands on Saturday.
DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee confirmed at an early Monday morning press conference at the High Performance Centre in Bellville that his talismanic skipper, who led the team to victory as underdogs in last year’s decider in Durban, may be a doubtful starter for the final against the Sharks. There is also an element of doubt over lock De Kock Steenkamp.
Western Province hooker Scarra Ntubeni has avoided further punishment after he was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle in their Currie Cup semi-final win over the Golden Lions at the weekend.
Ntubeni was sent to the sin-bin in the 73rd minute of the match at Newlands after he tip-tackled the Lions’ Robert de Bruyn.
Only 5 days remain before the Currie Cup final where we will see DHL Western Province take on The Sharks.
There has been quite a debate going on since Saturday and everyone has their views and thoughts on who the victor will be.
Put your skills to the test here to predict who will eventually walk away with glory and the bragging rights in the competition for 2013. Voting is open to Guests and Members of Rugby-Talk.
[poll id=”5″]
Voting for the Poll will close at 17:15 on Saturday 26 October 2013.
As we approach the final of the Currie Cup this weekend, all is not well in the Sharks camp.
There is the possibility that Bismarck du Plessis will miss the final due to a citing for stamping and in addition there is a couple of injuries to key players, which does not make things any easier.
DHL Western Province and The Sharks on Saturday booked their places in the Absa Currie Cup final in Cape Town next week following well-deserved victories in their semifinals against the MTN Golden Lions and Toyota Free State Cheetahs respectively.
Defending champions, Western Province, automatically earned a home final with their 33-16 victory against the Lions at DHL Newlands after finishing the round-robin stages as the top team, while the Sharks defeated the Cheetahs 33-22 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban.
Next week’s match-up will mark the second successive showdown between the teams in the Absa Currie Cup final, while it will also mark the Sharks’ fourth successive final appearance.
WP (18) 33 / 16 (9) Golden Lions (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and the MTN Golden Lions did battle in a Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 14:30 SA Time (12:30 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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It is just before the Semi-Finals of the Currie Cup Premier Division competition of 2013 in South Africa.
Only 4 teams are still in it to win the competition.
Put your skills to the test here to predict who will eventually walk away with glory and the bragging rights in the competition for 2013. Voting is open to Readers and Registered Subscribers of Rugby-Talk.
[poll id=”4″]
Voting for the Poll will close just prior to the advent of the 1st Semi-Final, on Saturday 19 October 2013.
Not only were WP Rugby’s professional players awarded individual trophies based on their performances throughout the 2013 season, but the Western Province Rugby Football Union also recognised all club, junior, female and referees’ performances within the union this past year.
The event was well attended on the night with the DHL WP Absa Currie Cup team present – ahead of this weekend’s semifinal against the Golden Lions – along with other key sponsors, players (seniors, juniors and club players), administrators and the local rugby media.
So, we find ourselves close to the end of yet another great Currie Cup season, but don’t get sad because there are still 5 big Currie Cup clashes left – 2 Promotion / Relegation matches, 2 semi-finals and the BIG Currie Cup final.
Our starter for the weekend will be a Promotion / Relegation match on Friday evening between GWK Griquas and Steval Pumas in Kimberley. This will be followed by two main courses on Saturday. The one course will be served Newlands style with a side of “big hits”, whilst the second course will be served Kings Park style with a side of “open and running rugby”. Desert will be a choice between pure bliss or extreme sadness, depending on main course selection.
MTN Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to take on DHL Western Province in the 2013 Absa Currie Cup semi-final at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
Jean de Villiers will start at outside centre for defending champions DHL Western Province in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup semifinal meeting with the MTN Golden Lions at DHL Newlands (kick-off 14:30).
National captain De Villiers replaces Michael van der Spuy in the only change to the WP line-up that defeated the Sharks by 17-13 in Durban last Saturday – a result which sealed a top-of-the-log finish for the reigning champions.
Juan de Jongh’s status as a doubtful starter for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup semifinal against the MTN Golden Lions at DHL Newlands has increased the likelihood of Springbok captain Jean de Villiers moving away from his usual inside centre position in the DHL Western Province team for the game.
The round-robin stages of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division this weekend reached an exciting conclusion, as DHL Western Province maintained their unbeaten run to retain the No1 spot on the log, while the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and MTN Golden Lions secured their semifinal berths.
DHL Western Province will host the MTN Golden Lions in the first semifinal in Cape Town next Saturday, while The Sharks will meet the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Durban in the other pay-off match.
The Lions and Cheetahs finished the league stages level on 26 log points thanks to the four-try bonus point bagged by the Johannesburg team in their clash against GWK Griquas.
Sharks (6) 13 / 17 (14) WP (Final Score)
The Sharks and DHL Western Province did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Kings Park, Durban at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 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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Centre Michael van der Spuy could feature in midfield for Western Province when they tackle the Sharks in a Currie Cup encounter in Durban on Saturday.
Juan de Jongh is struggling with a hamstring injury and according to backline coach Robbie Fleck his chances of being declared fit is “50-50”.
What a final round of Currie Cup rugby this is turning out to be. At one end of the table we have the Sharks and Western Province battling each other for the number one spot and at the other end we have the Free State Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls playing for the final semi final spot.
The Golden Lions are also by no means safe. If they lose to the Griquas and do not score any bonus points and the Blue Bulls manage a win, then the Golden Lions could find themselves in 5th place. This does not seem likely, taking current form into account.
This is the last weekend of the pool stages and it is turning into a quasi-play-off weekend, with the top two teams battling for 1st place and 3 teams competing for the last two semi final spots. What more can we ask for.
Scotland have not ruled out capping Tommaso Allan, despite the 20-year-old being called up by Italy.
The Perpignan fly-half has represented Scotland at U17, U18 and U20 levels but is in the Azzurri training squad for the November Test series.
DHL Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has named four Springboks in his starting XV for Saturday’s final-round Absa Currie Cup encounter against the Sharks in Durban (kick-off 19:10).
Outside centre Juan de Jongh, No.8 Duane Vermeulen, flanker Siya Kolisi and lock Eben Etzebeth will all start for the unbeaten defending champions, whilst national skipper Jean de Villiers will be on the bench.
The Sharks have announced their team to face DHL Western Province on Saturday 12 October 2013 at Kings Park. The match will start at 19:10 SA Time.
The referee for the match will be Jonathan Kaplan, assisted by Jason Jaftha and Reuben Rossow and with Shaun Veldsman in the TMO box.
Patrick Lambie is the only returning Springbok to play from the bench, considering that Willem Alberts is injured and not in the matchday 22.
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has welcomed back the returning Springboks in his side for the vital clash against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Top of the Currie Cup Premier Division log is at stake when these two sides clash on the weekend, so the motivation and expectation cannot be higher for this match. The battle will commence at Kings Park and ill determine which of these sides might host a possible Home Final at the end of the season.
With The Rugby Championship now done and dusted, the Springbok players involved look set to be returning to their Provincial Unions and respective overseas Clubs to continue plying their trade.
This of course leaves Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer a worried man and wishing he was in the fortunate situation which the All Blacks coach finds himself, where the All Black players will rest some more before the November Internationals start (of course there is still the matter of a Bledisloe Cup encounter between the All Blacks and Wallabies to consider on 18 October).
WP (18) 36 / 23 (9) Golden 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 (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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As we enter Round 9 of the Currie Cup Premier Division of 2013, the Sharks and WP find themselves topping the Log with 28 points each. The closest rival here is the Golden Lions who are on 21 points. With WP and the Sharks playing each other next weekend in the final match before the semi-finals, this weekend is a must win weekend end for both sides at the top.
The Blue Bulls, who are facing the Sharks, is in a must win situation for them if they would like to keep their semi-final hopes alive, as a win for the Free State Cheetahs this weekend could see an end to their Currie Cup season, if they lose.
MTN Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to front DHL Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
Ackermann has made several changes to his starting line-up, with the majority of the changes taking place in the backline.
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.
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.
DHL Western Province will be boosted with 3 key players returning to the training squad this week after injury lay-offs.
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.
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.
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.