The 4 South Section teams in the Vodacom Cup quarter-finals will be out for revenge after none of them progressed past the last 8 in 2014.
Teams from the north have dominated proceedings in the Vodacom Cup, which kicked off in 1998.
Only 3 times out of 17 campaigns have non-Northern teams won the competition – that was in 2000 (Toyota Free State XV), 2011 (Pampas XV) and 2012 (DHL Western Province). GWK Griquas, runners-up in the South Section this year, played in the North Section previously.
The Vodacom Cup remained in the north for the other 14 years. The Xerox Golden Lions (1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2013) and GWK Griquas (1998, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014) have won it 5 times each, the Vodacom Blue Bulls 3 times (2001, 2008, 2010) and the Hino Valke once (2006).
The defending champions will be the 1st team in action in the quarter-finals this year when the Steval Pumas travel to GWK Park in Kimberley on Friday evening to play GWK Griquas (kick-off at 19:00 SA Time).
Peter Engledow’s team from the Northern Cape lost only 1 of their pool matches this year, which gives them an impressive winning record of 15 out of their last 17 Vodacom Cup matches.
The Steval Pumas, coached by former Blitzbok speedster MJ Mentz, have been a strong contender in recent years – they were runners up in 2013, lost in the semi-final last year and won 5 of their 7 pool matches this year.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls host the Toyota Free State XV in the 2nd quarter-final at Loftus Versfeld on Friday evening (kick-off at 19:10 SA Time – live on Supersport 1). It’s a replay of last year’s quarter-final, won by the men from Pretoria by a single point.
The Nollis Marais-coached Vodacom Blue Bulls scored 40 tries in their 7 pool matches this season, which is the most by any team. Their opponents from Bloemfontein, coached by Rory Duncan, were the top try-scoring side in the South Section with 28.
Saturday’s 2 quarter-finals take place in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The SWD Eagles will have a massive mountain to climb when they travel to Emirates Airline Park to take on the top side from the North Section, the Xerox Golden Lions (kick-off at 14:10, live on Supersport 1).
The men from George, coached by former Springbok fullback Bevin Fortuin, have notched up a few impressive wins this season, but facing a mean-looking Xerox Golden Lions side at altitude is another proposition.
Russell Winter, coach of the Johannesburg-based side, would have faced Fortuin many times in his provincial career and will know it would be a massive mistake to underestimate the Eagles, but the Xerox Golden Lions would still be favourites to qualify for their 3rd successive semi-final.
The last quarter-final is at City Park in Athlone, where John Dobson’s South Section champions, DHL Western Province, will host the Leopards XV.
The men from Potchefstroom, coached by Chaka Willemse, needed a bonus-point victory in their final pool match to make it into the top 8, which they duly did in Windhoek last weekend, but a visit to the Cape is a different proposition.
Vodacom Cup – Team by Team Historic performances:
Xerox Golden Lions:
- Best performance: Champions in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2013
- Performance in 2014: Runners-up (lost to GWK Griquas in the Final, 30 / 6)
DHL Western Province:
- Best performance: Champions in 2012
- Performance in 2014: Lost in quarter-finals (13 / 8 to Steval Pumas)
Vodacom Blue Bulls:
- Best performance: Champions in 2001, 2008 and 2010
- Performance in 2014: Lost in semi-finals (16 / 15 to Xerox Golden Lions)
GWK Griquas:
- Best performance: Champions in 1998, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014
- Performance in 2014: Champions (beat Xerox Golden Lions in the Final, 30 / 6)
Steval Pumas:
- Best performance: Runners-up in 2013
- Performance in 2014: Lost in semi-finals (15 / 14 to GWK Griquas)
Toyota Free State XV:
- Best performance: Champions in 2000
- Performance in 2014: Lost in quarter-finals (22 / 21 to Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Leopards XV:
- Best performance: Runners-up in 2005
- Performance in 2014: 5th in North Section
SWD Eagles:
- Best performance: Lost in semi-finals, 1998
- Performance in 2014: Lost in quarter-finals (84 / 15 to GWK Griquas)
Vodacom Cup – Previous Winners:
- 1998: GWK Griquas
- 1999: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2000: Toyota Free State Cheetahs
- 2001: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2002: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2003: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2004: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2005: Xerox GWK Griquas
- 2006: Hino Valke
- 2007: GWK Griquas
- 2008: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2009: GWK Griquas
- 2010: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2011: Pampas XV
- 2012: DHL Western Province
- 2013: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2014: GWK Griquas
Quarter-Finals Fixtures:
Friday 15 May:
GWK Griquas vs Steval Pumas:
- Kick-Off: 19:00 SA Time
- Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
- Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Toyota Free State XV:
- Kick-Off: 19:10 SA Time
- Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
- Referee: Rodney Boneparte
(Live on SuperSport 1 & CSN)
Saturday 16 May:
Xerox Golden Lions vs SWD Eagles:
- Kick-Off: 14:10 SA Time
- Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
- Referee: Oregopotse Rametsi
(Live on SuperSport 1 & CSN)
DHL Western Province vs Leopards XV:
- Kick-Off: 15:30 SA Time
- Venue: City Park, Athlone, Cape Town
- Referee: Jaco Kotze
59 @ Victoriabok:
My jonger broer, Kotie het altyd so gespot met die mensies van Wolmer!
Hy het gesê van hulle is so ingeteel dat hulle ekstra handjies groei hier op hulle elmboë… hehehe
60 @ Pietman:
Johan Marais wassie sleg nie, hy het Bokke gespeel en was saam met die Bokke op die Meelbom Toer in 1981 na Nieu Seeland!!
Victoriabok wrote:
Erg! Ek het gesit en kyk hoe trap hy Dave Richardson, die OP scrummie en Hennie le Roux se skakelmaat, oop en bloot in die gesig dat die bloed spat, voor die re op Loftus…….en Tappe doen fkol, meer bekommerd oor sy vrou wat met polisiemanne rondvry in PtaWes daai tyd.
Drikus was n Likkewaan en Springbok diskusgooier….nice ou, maar vuilgat.
@ grootblousmile:
Ja, hy en Wynand was die agstemanne. Jou neef Burger was ook daar….ek ook!
Ek en Abie Bates en daai manne was was die eerste gedeelte saam op toer, ek het binne John Minto en sy betogerspan vasgeloop in Hamilton daai eerste wedstryd, ek en my pel Dirk de Waal van Vredendal….ou Dirk wou hom net moer!
@ Pietman:
Albie bedoel ek…hy het die toer gereel, sportswinkel gehad daar onder Nedbank in Hatfield.
Daai trip wat Oom Hendrik alleen teruggekom het, Naas se ma agtergebly met Mike Clamp, All Black vleuel en haar nuwe ghantang
Great to come back and see we have won this one.
Well done Blue Bulls and especially William Small-Smith
@ Bullscot:
Small-Smith is the man to partner Jan Serfontein, not JJ, in my extremely humble opinion
57 @ Pietman:
Hi Pietman pity to see you have Schutte Bekker there, he was one of those all round gifted sportsmen, who I think could have gone far as a cricketer possibly even had a provincial career as one. He was a giftige fast bowler, we were in the laerskool together in the Onderberg and then went to different high schools.
64 @ Pietman:
Het hulle julle so bietjie ook met die meel gegooi?
Damn, dit was ‘n donnerse onnatuurlike toer.
Bokke moes in die Kleedkamers van die stadions en sulke plekke slaap!
67 @ Pietman:
Absolutely agree with you Pietman but maybe I am a bit biased as met him when I went down to watch the Bulls against Saracens and he was such a polite decent bloke, there were some really lekker Bulls okes that we met with him and Jesse Kriel standing out especially.
67 @ Pietman:
I think injuries may have hampered his progress a little as we was a star when he captained the Junior Boks to World Cup glory. Hopefully he will go on a good run now and force his way into the team. If they are allowed to play a flowing game and play together a lot Pollard, Serfontein and Small-Smith could go on to be a great combination, so much talent.
Bullscot wrote:
Really! No, he was very good at the then WTvl, before he came to Pta.
grootblousmile wrote:
Ja, was koud, nie eens warm water om te stort na die eerste toets nie. Gelukkig het ou Abe Williams en Rob Louw die show aan die gang gehou met hul humor en kitaarspelery!
72 @ Pietman:
Ja, he was in the year after me and had an older boet who was the year ahead, think their old man was a Dr (don’t know what of) who was high up in the sugar mill there.
@ grootblousmile:
Being on here ‘chatting’ tonight reminds me of the early days when I joined. For some reason we Blue Bulls had a lot of Friday night games then and we would be kuiering here. Where does the time go?
75 @ Bullscot:
Time certainly flies, Bully!
@ grootblousmile:
Yeah, not getting any younger, hope all is right your side, going to sign off now, better half not too well so will go and try be some company to cheer her up. BIG day in the PRO12 tomorrow the last round of the year with locations of semi-finals and some places for European Champions Cup qualification still up for grabs. GO GLASGOW!
77 @ Bullscot:
I’m still putting up some rugby news, then I will also tun in!
@ Bullscot:
@ grootblousmile:
Yip, time waits for no man boys!
Would you believe, my grandson playing his first match tomorrow, center for primary school in Durbanville, he is flippen good!!!
They have a rugby day at Caledon Overberg, he doesn’t know Ouma is on her way there early morning to surprise him when their bus from the Cape arrives….I should have been there, just to protect the ref…Ouma is rof langs die veld, sy sal hom sommer gryp!
Pietman wrote:
Jinne nee man ons is darem nie al so oud nie
Jokes aside congratulations Pietman all these milestones the little ones achieve as they are growing can make one so proud just a shame you are not there to experience it but I am sure his Ouma will cheer for both of you, hope she is able to video some of it for you to see
Right now really must go but allow me this one indulgence before I go. For BB:
@ Bullscot:
Thx bro! yes, there will be a video, ouma will see to that,,,,and I will post it here if he scores the winning try!
Hoop net nie nie die klein donner raak aan die huil as hulle verloor nie, nee kyk, DAN moer ek hom!!!
@ Bullscot:
Talk later, gonna hit the sack, have to give Ouma a wake-up call in about six hours, about an hour to Caledon from Goosebay, kick-off at 9 AM !
Cheers!
The Steval Pumas are also through to the Semis:
Final Score: Steval Pumas 28 / 14 GWK Griquas
@ grootblousmile:
Wat het Griekwas gemaak gisteraand?
SWD 14 / 10 Xerox Golden Lions
Wait, Stokkies has just scored… or has he?
TMO
Xerox Golden Lions 17 / 14 SWD Eagles
44 Min gone
Xerox Golden Lions 20 / 14 SWD Eagles
No wait, there’s a try by Heyns of SWD, under the sticks!
SWD Eagles 21 / 20 Xerox Golden Lions
51 Min gone
Xerox Golden Lions 23 / 21 SWD Eagles
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