Facts on the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final:
• This will be the 50th Absa Currie Cup Final since the advent of finals in this competition in 1939. The Sharks have played in 12 finals before, while Vodacom Western Province will make their 22nd appearance in an Absa Currie Cup Final. The Durban side have won five titles from those finals, with the Cape team winning 12 out of 21 (which includes two shared titles).
• The Sharks and Vodacom Western Province have competed against each other in four Absa Currie Cup Finals, the most recent being in 2001. The Durban side were victorious in one final (1995) while Province have won three finals (1984, 2000 & 2001).
• Thirteen Sharks players (from their expected match day 22) have previous Absa Currie Cup Final experience. Only four Vodacom Western Province players in their expected match day 22 have been involved in an Absa Currie Cup Final before this weekend.
• Fifteen of the Vodacom WP players selected for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Final were part of the Vodacom Stormers team that conceded a 25-17 defeat against the Vodacom Bulls in this year’s Vodacom Super 14 Final played at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
• Eleven players in The Sharks’ expected squad for this Absa Currie Cup Final have tasted victory in a final before. boasts a total of 13 Absa Currie Cup winner medals, while three players with Vodacom Western Province have been on the winning side in a final – incidentally all of them for other provinces.
• Prop Jannie du Plessis have four winning medals (three for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and one for The Sharks in 2008). In the Vodacom WP side, flyhalf Willem de Waal has three (all for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2005, 2006 and 2007), while winger Bryan Habana (Vodacom Blue Bulls in 2009) and No 8 Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2007) have one each.
• Jannie du Plessis will be the most experienced Sharks player in terms of finals played (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Stefan Terblanche, who is the only survivor of the 2000 and 2001 finals, will be playing in his fourth Absa Currie Cup Final. He played centre in 2000, left-wing in 2001 and fullback for the Durban side during the 2008 final against the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
• De Waal will be playing in his fifth Absa Currie Cup Final after representing the Vodacom Free Cheetahs in the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 finals. Habana will be playing in his fourth (2005, 2008 and 2009 for the Vodacom Blue Bulls).
• This Absa Currie Cup Final will be Andries Strauss’ (The Sharks) and De Waal’s (Vodacom WP) last match for their respective teams. Strauss will be going back to the Free State, where he grew up and started his career while Province’s pivot is set to continue his rugby in Italy next year.
• De Waal is the leading points’ scorer (215) in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup competition. The flyhalf converted 34 tries and also kicked 49 penalties. He was also the top points-scorer in Absa Currie Cup in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Sharks utility back Patrick Lambie is the second leading points’ scorer this season with 180 points (three tries, 33 conversions and 30 penalties).
• The Sharks have scored the most tries (63) in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup and have also added the second most points by any team (508) this season. The Cape Town side have scored 62 tries (second place) and scored the most points (551) in 2010.
• Sharks winger Lwazi Mvovo (The Sharks) is second on the list of leading try-scorers this season with 12 tries. Other leading try-scorers who are likely to appear in the final are Gio Aplon (WP) who is third on the list with nine tries, Keegan Daniel (Sharks), who has scored eight and is fourth, as well as Odwa Ndungane (Sharks) with seven tries (fifth).
• Theuns Stofberg is the only player to have won the Absa Currie Cup with three different provinces. He won titles with Free State (1976), Northern Transvaal (1979 and 1980) and Western Province (1982 and 1983). Former Springbok winger James Small is the only other player to have played in three Absa Currie Cup Finals for three different provinces – Transvaal, Natal and WP – but he never won a title with Transvaal.
• No player has ever scored more than two tries in an Absa Currie Cup Final. Buddy Swartz was the first to score a brace in a final – in 1970 for Griquas against Northern Transvaal. Edrich Krantz scored two Northern Transvaal against Western Province in 1980. Andre Venter added two for Free State in the 1994 final against Transvaal, Thinus Delport for the Golden Lions against the Sharks in 1999, Breyton Paulse for WP in their 2000 final victory over the Sharks and the late Ettienne Botha did it twice – in the 2003 final against the Sharks and in 2004 during the Absa Currie Cup final against the Free State Cheetahs. Bryan Habana scored two for the Vodacom Blue Bulls against the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in last year’s final.
• Only four players in history have scored tries in finals for two different teams. Otto van Niekerk scored two tries for Transvaal in the 1939 final against WP and one for Province in the 1947 final against Transvaal. Edrich Krantz scored one try for Free State in the 1976 final against Western Province and two tries for Northern Transvaal against WP in the 1980 final. Gerbrand Grobler, the only player in history to represent his province in a Currie Cup final in rugby and cricket, scored a try for Northern Transvaal in 1990 against Natal and a try for Transvaal against Free State in 1994. AJ Venter scored a try for the Golden Lions in the 1999 final against The Sharks and a try for the Durban side in the 2003 final against the Blue Bulls. Habana can become the fifth player to achieve this feat.
• Craig Joubert, who refereed the Vodacom Super 14 final earlier this year, will take charge of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Final for the first time in his career.
• Andre Watson, who refereed two IRB Rugby World Cup Finals, has refereed in seven Absa Currie Cup Finals followed by Steve Strydom (six), Freek Burger (five) and Jonathan Kaplan (five). Tappe Henning was the referee in the 1995 final between The Sharks and WP while Watson was in charge of the 2000 and 2001 finals between these two teams.
The Sharks’ recent form at The Absa Stadium Durban:
• The hosts have not lost at home this season. They beat the Vodacom Blue Bulls (16-12 in the semi-final), Platinum Leopards (63-6), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (30-16), GWK Griquas (48-30), Vodacom Western Province (27-16), Xerox Lions (48-19), Vodacom Blue Bulls (34-28) and the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (27-17).
• The Sharks lost twice in Durban in 2009 – against Vodacom Western Province and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (semi-final).
Vodacom Western Province’s recent form on the road:
• The Cape side secured four victories on the road during this season’s competition – against the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (62-10), GWK Griquas (50-3), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (25-11) and against the Platinum Leopards (42-23).
• The visitors conceded three away defeats – against the Vodacom Blue Bulls (36-32) in Pretoria, The Sharks (27-16) in Durban and the Xerox Lions (46-28) in Johannesburg.
• Vodacom WP achieved three away victories, against the Boland Kavaliers, Platinum Leopards and The Sharks, in last year’s Absa Currie Cup.
Absa Currie Cup Finals Stats:
Most points’ scored in an Absa Currie Cup final:
26 – Derick Hougaard, Blue Bulls vs Lions 2002 (1 try, 2 drop goals, 5 pen)
24 – Naas Botha, Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions 1987 (4 drop goals, 4 penalties)
24 – Braam van Straaten, Western Province vs Sharks 2001 (1 try, 2 con, 5 pen)
21 – Gavin Johnson, Golden Lions vs Free State 1994 (6 conversions, 3 penalties)
21 – Morné Steyn, Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs 2009 (3 con, 4 pen, 1 drop goal)
20 – Thierry Lacroix , Natal vs Western Province 1995 (6 penalties, 1 conversion)
19 – Naas Botha, Blue Bulls vs WP 1980 (2 con, 3 pen, 2 drop goals)
19 – Willem de Waal, Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls 2005 (5 penalties, 2 conversions)
18 – De Wet Ras, Free State vs WP 1976 (3 con, 3 pen, drop goal)
18 – Henry Honiball, Natal vs Gauteng Lions 1996 (3 conversions, 4 penalties)
17 – Gerald Bosch, Golden Lions vs Falcons 1972 (1 con, 2 pen, 3 drop goals)
Most successful Absa Currie Cup coaches: Brig. Buurman van Zyl, Blue Bulls – 9 wins & 2 draws; 1968-1981
Dawie Snyman, Western Province – 5 consecutive wins; 1982-1986
Ian McIntosh, Natal – 4 wins; 1990-1996
Heyneke Meyer, Blue Bulls – 3 consecutive wins and 1 draw; 2002-2006
Youngest winning Absa Currie Cup Coaches: 32 years 351 days – Rassie Erasmus (5/11/1972), Free State Cheetahs on 22/10/2005
33 years 89 days – Dawie Snyman (5/7/1949), Western Province on 2/10/1982
Most finals as a referee: 7 – André Watson (Falcons/Saru)
6 – Steve Strydom (Free State)
5 – Freek Burger (WP), Jonathan Kaplan (SARU)
3 – Jimmy Smith-Belton (EP), Gert Bezuidenhout (Tvl)
Courtesy of SA Rugby
AL hierdie beteken NIKS nie, maar dit is steeds baie interessant, dankie.
Leierskap:
WP het Burger, De Villiers, van Zyl, Habana.
Sharks het Oupa, Alberts(?), Sykes(?)
Ervaring (die laatse 4 jaar, alle top klas rugby)
Wereld beker(2007)
WP- Burger, De Villiers, Habana, Ricky.
Sharks-Jannie en Bismarck.
Super 14 finals:
WP-almal
Sharks- Ndugane, Kanko, Dup broers, Beast. Dan is ek nie seker oor Sykes, Mvovo en oupa nie…
CC-Finals:
WP-Niemand
Sharks: 13 (soos hierbo genoem).
Bokke vir 2009/2010
WP- 7
Sharks- 5
So all in all, dis MOERSE even. En kom nou, mens moet kyk na wat die laaste 4 jaar gebeur het. Die feit dat Oupa in 2001 in die semi laas teen WP gespeel het, in minder werd as 1 (een) Zim Dollar.
As ek ‘n san moet kies uit die twee groepe van 22 sou dit so lyk:
Ludik
Aplon
De Jongh
De Villiers
Habana
Lambie
Duvenhage
Kanko
Flou of Alberts
Burger
van Zyl
Sykes
Dup
Dup
Beat
WP-8 en Sharks 8. Dalk kan mens Ludik met Jantjies verruil, en vir Flou bo Alberts kies, of Ludik en Alberts kies, dan is dit 8-7 of 9-6.
Steeds close.
Ek dink AL wat mens verseker oor die naweek kan se is dat die senuwees gaan knaag en dat die stemme gaan weg wees.
en o-ja, wat die arena betref. Sharks het nie die heel beste rekord in die CC as dit kom by tuis semi-finals en finals nie.
wedstryde vir 2010
WP 2, Sharks 2 (vanaf die opwarmings toernooi voor die S14)
Laaste game tussen die spanne. WP
Laaste game tussen die spanne op die veld. Sharks
… ek dink ek weet nou van nog iets wat seker is… at ve end ov ve day Derren, the too best SA teams of 2010 r playing each ovver tomorrow. Fact.
Jip al die stats beteken nie veel nie, maar goeie leesstof. Ek persoonlik dink die WP gaan die een vat. Sharks se “final” was teen die Bulls. Hulle het vees gevier asof hulle die beker gewen het.
Okay here I go and put my … on the line.
Sharks ahead by no more than 3 points at half time.
WP to score a great try from open play running from the back by either Aplon or Habana shortly after half time.
Scores level in the last 5 minutes.
Sharks forward power too much at the end and they score a 5 pointer by the forwards with 2 minutes to go and take the cup!!!
And by the way, don’t you people know that all finals are won and lost in the front row!!
That is a fact, and never mind what happened at Newlands the WP front row will be bullied at scrum time on Saturday!!
Greenpoint-Gunner wrote:
i would rather put it this way
ek dink ek weet nou van nog iets wat seker is… at ve end ov ve day Derren, the too best Currie Cup teams of 2010 r playing each ovver tomorrow. Fact.
or just leave the “Fact” out.
Everyone drools about this most wonderful ever Currie up final coming up. It might be a dull 9-6 game. The Fact is for the two participating teams it will be wonderful. Hell go and enjoy it. The roll of the dice fell your way, but remember one more fact.
SARU made sure the teams were affected by the resting of the contracted Springboks. Everything could have been different? 😀
@ superBul:
HeHeHe Super, Should the winner play the Bulls to make sure who the 2010 champions really are!!!
@ tight head:
Oh shucks that already happened 2 weeks ago!!
HeHeHe!!!
@ tight head:
I think that everyone knows the Bulls are still the BIG boys.
More nervousness from the WP manne, just imagine if they fail AGAIN, this is their year remember.
Still can’t decide who to back…………WP maybe.
@ Loosehead:
Come on Loskop, read my comment number 5!!!
You should know!!!
@ superBul:
Yes Super the Bulls are the big boys, and you know that the game is always won by the big boys up front, so although WP have a fantastic backline, they need good ball to run with and that will be in short supply for them on Saturday.
@ tight head:
While I agree with you 100%, it is the penalties given away by the brothers DuP that will give De Waal the kicks at goal.We all know that Lambie is a hit and miss kicker………….
The BB had a very bad day at the office 2 weeks ago and the Sharks had a very good one. Yet the Sharks only won by 4, and could easily have lost it at the end! To me that said a lot…
But ultimately and most importantly it all will come down to how the ref will blow the breakdowns. The optom Mark was a bit harsh on the Sharkies in CT and the poor okes never got momentum.
Don’t underestimate the fact that WP have the best goalkicker in this year’s CC, and that Habana loves the big games.
Also how Skaapkoppie handles the pressure will be huge. And, no : catching an up-and-under in the rain under pressure is NOT the same as making the right decisions and executing them properly under pressure!
Tight head, I disagree with you. I have seen too many games (especially finals and their semi’s) lost by teams who had the upper hand in the tight five. I don’t deny it’s important, but not the be-all end-all.
Finals in Durbs are almost never good entertainment and this one will be no different. I really hope I’m proven wrong!
SB, dis reg, die beste twee spanne van die CC. Sorry, dai het nie so lekker deurgekom nie.
If you look at combination.
Front row
Sharks – Bismarck, Jannie, Beast
WP – Harris, Fourie, moller
Locks
Sharks – Hargreaves and Sykes
WP – Fondse and van Zyl.
you would have to argue that the sharks have the better tight five, and should therefor have the advantage in the scrums and possibly the line outs.
Loosies
Sharks – Daniels, Kankowski, Alberts
WP – Burger, Louw, Vermeulen
You would have to argue that Burger and his crowd should shade the Sharks loossies, but then when you add Bismarck and Beast, it could be even at the breakdowns.
Half back combinations
Sharks – Mclead and Lambie
WP – January and De Waal
Decision making here, you have the solid but unspectacular de Waal and January vs the young exciting pair from the Sharks, the problem is with youth and exuberance comes mistakes. Who will make them.
Midfield
Sharks – Strauss and Terblanche
WP – Du Jongh and De Villiers
Modfield has to go to the province, the in form du Jongh and steady experienced de Villiers, vs the very reliable Terblanche.
Back three
Sharks – Mvovu, Ndunagane, Ludik.
WP – Habana, Aplon, Jantjies.
I would edge this towards WP, with Habana looking to regain form and aplon with his sniping runs.
I would eaxpect the Sharks to play pick and drive, keep the ball with the forwards, controlling the break downs and unleashing Mvovu at every opportunity possible.
The WP would like a more open game, they have the more creative runners in Aplon and du Jongh.
I think if Lambie and Mclead can get through the game without stupid costly errors, the Sharks could pull this through.
GBS, superBull: it is time for a Tjarks / WP spite thread!
@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
15
dit was tong in die kies GG, hulle se ook jy is net so goed as jou laaste game. 😆
Maar ek moet se ek het regtig nog nie van n Bul gehoor wat polse wil sny nie, dis asof ons salig is oor die saak.
PS.
Wonder tog of Blouste nie dalk polse gesny het nie, waars die man?
Nou ja, 1 dag om te gaan. Ek het gistraand die 2008 final gekyk as opwarming vir die naweek.
Tense gewees, net soos die semi. Die classic moment in die game was toe Oupa Stefan verby Habana op die wing gehardloop het. 🙂 Gelyk of Habana parkering soek.
En Stegman wat die duikslag gemis het op Ruan, wat die eerste drie gedruk het.
Wat skokkend was, was die 12 punte wat pale toe gemis was deur die Sharks, dit het die Bulle die heeltyd in die game gehou.
18@ superBul:
Ou Blouste lewe nog, het gister ‘n Mail van die man ontvang Met so Blou Terminator foto, wat sê: We’ll be Back!”
@ grootblousmile:
O OK ek is nou eers weer op pad, jy die ITM Cup game gekyk, dit impress my glad nie. Dit is nie die rugby waarvoor ek sal betaal nie.
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