The Absa Currie Cup Premier Division delivered another thrilling round of action this weekend as the home teams all failed to capitalise on their advantage, resulting in a full-house of away-wins.
The Sharks pipped the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 18-15 in Bloemfontein on Friday, and on Saturday DHL Western Province edged GWK Griquas 20-19 in Kimberly, while the MTN Golden Lions hammered the Vodacom Blue Bulls 62-23 at Loftus Versfeld.
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The victory for the Cape side means they remain the only unbeaten team in the competition. The Lions victory, meanwhile, marked the biggest winning margin in the opening three rounds.
Vodacom Blue Bulls (16) 23 / 62 (20) MTN Golden Lions:
The first half at Loftus Versfeld was tightly fought, as the Vodacom Blue Bulls and MTN Golden Lions matched one another with two tries and two penalties a piece.
This resulted in the teams being neck-on-neck for most of the half, although Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff proved to be more effective with the boot, which earned the visitors a narrow 20-16 lead at the break.
The Blue Bulls, however, snuck back into the lead three minutes into the second half as centre Francois Venter finished off a fantastic run of play following a break by Clayton Blommetjies for a 23-20 lead.
But the tables turned drastically on attack in the 49th minute after prop Morne Mellett was yellow-carded for infringing at a maul.
The Lions spread the ball to take advantage of the one-man overlap and it worked like a charm, earning them three tries in 10 minutes. They supported this with three more before the end of the match to take their tally to eight tries.
Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls 23 (16) – Tries: Francois Venter, Jurgen Visser, Travis Ismaiel. Conversion: Jurgen Visser. Penalty: Visser. Drop Goal: Tony Jantjies.
MTN Golden Lions 62 (20) – Tries: Anthony Volmink, Deon Helberg, Derick Minnie (2), Elton Jantjies, Jaco Kriel, Warwick Tecklenburg, Willie Britz. Conversions: Marnitz Boshoff (8). Penalties: Boshoff (2).
GWK Griquas (3) 19 / 20 (10) DHL Western Province:
In Kimberly GWK Griquas and DHL Western Province were involved in an arm-wrestle from the outset, as the forwards took charge, resulting in a brutal battle.
The breakdowns, in particular, were hard fought with both teams winning turnovers and penalties at crucial times.
An early try by WP captain Deon Fourie handed his team a 7-0 lead in the fifth minute, but with the teams putting their bodies on the line on defence and winning turnovers in the opposition’s 22 at vital stages, the only other points earned were penalties.
The second half was equally tense and opened up with Kurt Coleman and Nico Scheepers exchanging penalties.
But Western Province centre Juan de Jongh made a breakthrough for their second try with 15 minutes to go after gathering a grubber for a 20-9 lead.
Western Province’s ill-discipline, however, allowed the home team to claw their way back into the match, thanks to a penalty by Scheepers, and a late try resulting from another penalty. But fortunately for the Cape side this was insufficient to force Griquas into the lead.
Scorers:
GWK Griquas 19 (3) – Try: PJ Vermeulen. Conversion: Du Randt Gerber. Penalties: Nico Scheepers (4).
DHL Western Province 20 (10) – Tries: Deon Fourie, Juan de Jongh. Conversions: Kurt Coleman (2). Penalties: Kurt Coleman (2).
Toyota Free State Cheetahs (15) 15 / 18 (13) Sharks:
In Bloemfontein the Sharks dominated possession early on but battled to capitalise on it, mainly due to the solid Toyota Free State Cheetahs defence.
Despite this, the Durban team’s talented young flyhalf Fred Zeilinga handed them a 6-3 lead in the 15th minute after slotting over a penalty and a drop goal.
However, two tries in four minutes by Cheetahs looseforward Lappies Labuschagne and wing Raymond Rhule respectively in the second quarter pushed the home team into an encouraging 15-6 lead.
But the Sharks forwards’ were finally rewarded for their efforts on the stroke of half time as Jean Deysel crossed the tryline for their first five-pointer, which Zeilinga converted to reduce the deficit to two points.
With both teams giving their all the second half was epic.
Such was the close nature of the half the only points scored were through an unconverted try by Sharks centre Louis Ludik, which proved to be enough to earn the visitors their second victory and catapult them into second place on the log.
Scorers:
Toyota Free State Cheetahs 15 (15) – Tries: Lappies Labuschagne, Raymond Rhule. Conversion: Riaan Smit. Penalty: Smit.
The Sharks 18 (13) – Tries: Jean Deysel, Louis Ludik. Conversion: Fred Zeilinga. Penalty: Zeilinga. Drop Goal: Zeilinga.
Uhm, check the spelling of Currie in the headline.
Having said that, the Cheetahs are going to have to sort their shit out ASAP!
The first two games of the weekend were rather dull affairs IMO.
As for the Lions, what can we conclude.
1. They’ve been playing this “brand” of Rugby throughout the “Lions Challenge”, but seemed to be trying something different in the first two games of the CC.
2. When these 2 sided met a couple of weeks before the end of the Super Rugby round robin stages, the result was very similar, with the Lions also taking control of the game in the second stanza.
The Lions STILL do not have a defensive coach. Their tackling was better in this game’s 2nd half, but in SR they will get destroyed.
They (Lions) need to kep their feet on the ground. Too often SA sides have a great game followed by 2 games of mediocrity. (I hinted as much with the SA side last week, and again it was so.)
Lastly, let me just say that for the most part thus far in the CC, I’ve been deeply concerned with the standard of officating, both by the on-field officials, as well as the TMO’s.
Well done to all of the winners. To the Bulls supporters out there, don’t be too disheartened by this result.
Your team was FAR better than the Lions in the 1st half, with some absolutely sublime attacking flair.
Serfontein is a potential world beater.
For the Lions it’s nice to see Britz gaining in stature with more ame time, and I’m really excited whenever Botha or Volming get the ball out wide. No substitute for pure speed.
As for the chaps from the Cape, what did your coahing team do to poor Elton Jantjies? You took a prodigeous talent and virtually kicked it in the teeth. He’s a totally different player back in JHB. It’ll take time to get him back to his very best, but if he sticks around in JHB, it’ll come.
Lastly, WHO picks the MOTM awards? I agree that Britz had a good game, but Boschoff never looked like missing a kick, and was SO solid in his defensive kicks.
Just a thought.
@ Scrumdown:
Flip, typing errors for Africa.
Hope you get the gist of it all.
@ Loosehead:
All the teams aimin to win the Crurrie Cup for the first time.
GBS, any news on the “expanded” CC rumour doing the rounds a week or so ago?
4 @ Scrumdown:
No news yet… as far as I know
@ Scrumdown:
I am disheartened about my Bulls team. They have been going backwards for a while now. They haven’t been competitive in the Currie cup for a few years and I don’t see this changing soon. They are losing players at an alarming rate and they don’t get top players in anymore. I’m still bitter about their super 15 exit as well. They need a good action plan and some new ideas to get out of this hole.
@ Scrumdown – “As for the chaps from the Cape, what did your coahing team do to poor Elton Jantjies? You took a prodigeous talent and virtually kicked it in the teeth. He’s a totally different player back in JHB. It’ll take time to get him back to his very best, but if he sticks around in JHB, it’ll come.”
Nothing, he was given free reign to play his natural game, don’t forget the passing away of his Dad just before the season started.
He seems more at ease at the Lions and when he played for the Stormers he underperformed, not the coaches (the don’t coach knock-ons, missed tackles and bad decision making). It will be better for all if he stays exactly where he is at present.
Gena_ZA wrote:
Kaaaaak, at the Stormers they are coached to kick and tackle. Nothing else. Jutwatch a replay of their matches.
6 @ leon:
No emphasis on CC anymore, just Super Rugby.
7 @ Gena_ZA:
Cannot agree re “his natural game”, anything but IMO.
What I did notice, with both Jantjies and Taute was that both had “bulked up” considerably when they first started playing for the Stormers.
That can have various affects on different players. I noticed particularly that it affected Taute’s speed, and IMO was detrimental to Jantjies kicking.
Nice to see though that you have full faith in thw WP / Stormer’s coaching team.
I’ve always liked Mathew Proudfoot, but unfortunately can’t say the same about Alistair Coetzee. Just my personal opinion. Nothing else.
@ loosehead – that is a typical perception opinion there – same as the Cheetahs playing a running game and the Bulls a kicking game – actually the opposite was proven this year when looking at the stats. Any case, it seems to win Currie Cups so doesn’t matter.
@ Scrumdown – Also noticed he bulked up well in the off season – not sure that was a Stormers thing or not? Maybe the rest of his posture is now more in-line with his Boesman ass and 4bar lips 😉
As for Taute I agree with you, still have not made up my mind on him, maybe is he plays more that a few games a season one can really judge
10 @ Gena_ZA:
Of course it can also be that both were just decent players in a mediocre side in JHB and battled to stamp any authority on a stronger squad.
Just saw that the Lions have signed Stephan vd Walt on loan from the Brumbies for the remainder of the CC.
Born in Klersdorp and family moved to Aus when he was 8.
22 years old, Wing / centre. 1,92m tall, 92kg. Highly rated by Stephen Larkham who took him to the Brumbies, who reckons he’s somewhat in the Clyde Rathbone mould.
Being that tall he must be careful the Lions don’t make him a lock!
@ Scrumdown:
LOL. Do you think its a good signing?
13 @ Lion4ever:
Short term solution to a long term problem I’m afraid.
Can’t see the point really.
Still a junior with no real provincial experience, so unless they can pursuade him to return to SA for a longer time period it all seems a bit futile.
At least it shows that the guys in “charge” are looking around for talent.
@ Scrumdown:
@ Lion4ever:
Stephan vd Walt was part of the Brumbies Super rugby squad this year do you know if he ended up playing any Super games and how many if he did? The first time I heard of him was at the World Club 7s they recently held at Twickenham where he helped the Brumbies win it, in semifinal against Buenos Aires he scored two tries and the little I saw of the highlights later he looked quite a big strong runner, obviously defences are far differnt in 7s than 15 so will be interesting to see how he goes.
Mentioned it was an ‘interesting’ name on the thread here as I’d not known about him before : http://www.rugby-talk.com/2013/08/world-club-7s-south-african-teams-disappoint/
15 @ Bullscot:
The info’ I have indicates that he didn’t get any Super Rugby game time in 2013.
Eish my hart HUIL vir my bulletjies!!!
Something is not right in the BB camp, and I feel it is coming from higher up thatn the coaching staff and players, I heard that the senior players were offered smaller contracts this year? how does one do that? you cant go backwards, only forwards, that is why the players are leaving in droves!!!!
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