Calm before the storm me thinks …. With no international matches at all as the teams jet into New Zealand for Rugby World Cup 2011, the first games of the second round of the Absa Currie Cup take centre stage, with the highlight of the weekend probably being Saturday’s match in Pretoria between the Blue Bulls and The Sharks.
It’s been a tough season for the Bulls, but they’ve won their last three games and will be looking to continue that trend against the defending champions, who have pulled a “Plumtree” and picked Jean Deysel at 8th man in the place of the injured Ryan Kankowski.
On Friday evening, the Pumas will be looking for revenge when they host the table-topping and Shark slaying Golden Lions, after their close defeat in the opening round in Johannesburg. Not sure the Pink Panthers will have enough in the tank for this one though …
The other games this weekend are between Griquas and Western Province, who have picked the superbly exciting Marcel Brache at centre in place of injured fellow Ikey Tim Whitehead, and the Leopards vs the Cheetahs in Potchefstroom.
Friday, September 2
Pumas v Golden Lions, Nelspruit 19:10
Referee: Jason Jaftha
15 July 2011: Golden Lions won 31-27 in Johannesburg
My prediction: Lions by 7
Pumas: 15. MJ Mentz, 14. Wilhelm Hendrik Loock, 13. JW Jonker, 12. Tian Carel Meyer, 11. Deon Scholtz, 10. Coenie van Wyk, 9. Shaun Venter, 8. Christo le Roux, 7. Jaco Bouwer, 6. Corne Steenkamp (captain), 5. Marius Coetzer, 4. Rudi Mathee, 3. Ashley Buys, 2. Pellow van der Westhuizen, 1. Dawie Steyn
Substitutes: 16. Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17. De-Jay Terblanche, 18. Willem Serfontein, 19. JP Mostert, 20. Martin Sithole, 21. Tiaan Marx, 22. Johan Jackson
Golden Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Michael Killian, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8 Warren Whiteley/Joshua Strauss, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Patric Cilliers, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Warren Whiteley/Joshua Strauss, 20 Jaco Kriel, 21 Doppies La Grange, 22 Burton Francis
Saturday, September 3
Griquas v Western Province, Kimberley 15:00
Referee: Marius Jonker
16 July 2011: Draw 26-26 in Cape Town
My prediction: WP by 9
Griquas: 15. Rudi Vogt, 14. Rocco Jansen, 13. Wilmaure Louw, 12. Hanno Coetzee, 11. Dusty Noble, 10. Riaan Viljoen, 9. Sarel Pretorius, 8. Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 7. Davon Raubenheimer, 6. Justin Downey, 5. Martin Muller, 4. Hendrik Roodt, 3. Lourens Adriaanse, 2. Ryno Barnes, 1. Ivann Espag
Substitutes: 16. Simon Westraadt, 17. Steph Roberts, 18. Frikkie Spies, 19. Marnus Schoeman, 20. Marnus Hugo, 21. Jean Stemmet, 22. Earl Rose
Western Province: 15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Marcel Brache, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nick Koster, 7. Tertius Daniller, 6. Nick Fenton-Wells, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Hilton Lobberts, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg (captain), 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Skarra Ntubeni, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Quinn Roux, 19. Nizaam Carr, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Berton Klaasen, 22. Steven Hunt
Leopards v Cheetahs, Potchefstroom 16:00
Referee: Stuart Berry
16 July 2011: Cheetahs won 40-12 in Bloemfontein
My prediction: Cheetahs 18
Leopards: 15 George Tossel, 14 Hoffman Maritz, 13 Jovan Bowles, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht, 11 Wynand Willis, 10 Wesley Dunlop, 9 Whesley Moolman, 8 Morn Hanekom (captain), 7 MB Lusaseni, 6 Siya Mdaka, 5 Brad Mockford, 4 Brendan Snyman, 3 Stefan Bezuidenhout, 2 Marius Fourie, 1 BG Uys
Substitutes: 16 Jacques Moller, 17 Dewald Coetzee, 18 Roan van Heerden, 19 Spanner Pretorius, 20 Robert Kruger, 21 Hennie Skorbinski, 22 Clayton Durand
Cheetahs: 15. Hennie Daniller, 14. Philip Burger, 13. Robert Ebersohn, 12. Philip Snyman, 11. Cameron Jacobs, 10. Johan Goosen, 9. Piet van Zyl, 8. Boom Prinsloo, 7. Philip Van der Walt, 6. Pieter Labuschagne, 5. Izak van der Westhuizen, 4. Francois (FS) Uys, 3. Coenie Oosthuizen, 2. Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1. Marcel Van Der Merwe
Substitutes: 16. Hercu Liebenberg, 17. Trevor Nyakane, 18. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19. Johan Wessels, 20. Tewis de Bruyn, 21. Sias Ebersohn, 22. Riaan Smit
Blue Bulls v Sharks, Pretoria 17:05
Referee: Mark Lawrence
16 July 2011: The Sharks won 35-16 in Durban
My prediction: Bulls by 3
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Zane Kirchner, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouch, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Dustin Jinka, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Francois Venter
Sharks:
15 Louis Ludik, 14 Sibusiso Sithole, 13 Stefan Terblanche, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Jean Deysel, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Keegan Daniel (captain), 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Eugene van Staden, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick
Substitutes: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Anton Bresler, 19 Alistair Hargreaves, 20 Jacques Botes, 21 Conrad Hoffmann, 22 Adrian Jacobs
Absa Currie Cup First Division
EP vs Border
Date: Friday, 2 September, Kick-off: 19:00
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Jaco Peyper
22 July 2011: EP won 62-15 in East London
Boland vs Griffons
Date: Saturday, 3 September, Kick-off: 16:00
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Joey Salmans
22 July 2011: Boland won 46-7 in Welkom
Have a legendary pre Rugby World Cup weekend my friends. From next Friday it’s up at 05h00 or even 03h00 to take in the greatest tournament on earth 🙂
Tank
