At last it is Super Rugby week … No more pesky conference previews and speculation as to side selections … On Friday it’s the Bulls v Sharks at Loftus at7:10pm, and on Saturday the Stormers play the Canes at Newlands at 5:05pm, while the Lions take on the Cheetahs at the Coke Tin at 7:10pm.
I reckon the Blues and Saders will fight it out for the trophy while the Sharks will head up the SA conference, with the Bulls and Stormers scrumming for second place, and the Lions edging the Cheetahs for that nasty wooden spoon spot in the SA conference …
But before we get to that, we have a small matter of the 4 Varsity Cup games taking place this evening, where there are just two unbeaten sides Tuks and Maties, with last year’s champions, the Ikeys, still sans a single victory, and yet to play both unbeaten sides!
Fresh off their incredible win over Shimlas – thanks to two tries in the last three minutes – the Madibaz from Port Elizabeth head to Johannesburg to take on UJ, who will be a tough nut to crack on their home ground after attracting 6 500 odd spectators against the Ikeys – and also because of the small matter of having a top-four place within their grasp.
The current top-four are up against each other tonight (Maties vs Shimlas and Tuks vs Pukke) – which means there should be some movement at the top of the log.
But, as I have learnt to my detriment on the Front Row Grunt Superbru pool log, trying to predict Varsity Cup results is a hazardous occupation. Well done to Primate (Sports Illustrated online guy Gareth Rosslee) for taking the yellow cap last week, but it was not enough to take top spot from Abs (Christo Smuts) … I am hovering in a fairly inept 101st place!
Varsity Cup fixtures, predictions and line-ups:
UJ v NMMU
UJ Stadium (Johannesburg)
Kick-off: 5pm (Live on SuperSport One)
My prediction: UJ by 12
UJ: 15 Worsie Kotze, 14 JR Esterhuizen, 13 Luan Steenkamp, 12 Divan van Zyl, 11 Chrysander Botha, 10 Guy Cronjé, 9 Rudi Paige, 8 Justin Wheeler (captain), 7 Jaco Kriel, 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 Shane Kirkwood, 3 Jaco Vermeulen, 2 Shaun Malton, 1 Ruan Dreyer.
Replacements: 16 Francois du Toit, 17 Niabulo Mkize, 18 Marnus van Huyssteen, 19 Dylan Peterson, 20 Jacques Pretorius, 21 Justin St. Jerry, 22 Aubrey McDonald, 23 Heinrich Terblanche.
NMMU: 15 Gerrit Smith, 14 Mayibuye Ndwandwa, 13 Quinton Crocker (vice-captain), 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Anton Verster, 10 Martin du Toit, 9 Charlie Purdon, 8 Jaco Swanepoel (captain), 7 Timothy Agaba, 6 Ulrich Pretorius, 5 André Goosen, 4 Mzwanele Zito, 3 Ross David-Anderson, 2 Martin Ferreira, 1 Roy Godfrey.
Replacements: 16 Kobus Greeff, 17 Gareth Hartley, 18 Schalk Oelofse, 19 Jaco Otto, 20 Marlin Ruiters, 21 Bradley Kretzman, 22 Devon Lailvaux, 23 Phillip Nel.
Tuks v Pukke
Tuks Rugby Stadium (Pretoria)
Kick-off: 7pm (Live on SuperSport One)
My prediction: Tuks by 7
Tuks: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 Dabeon Draghoender, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Wesley Dunlop, 9 Lohan Jacobs, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques Verwey, 6 Okkie Kruger, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Mike Williams, 3 Stephan Pretorius, 2 Jacques Momberg, 1 Sabelo Nhlapo.
Replacements: 16 Zane Botha, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Sthembiso Mlongo, 19 Lean Schwartz, 20 Clayton Stewart, 21 Willie du Plessis, 22 Riaan Britz, 23 Basil Short.
Pukke: 15 SW Oosthuizen, 14 Andrew van Wyk, 13 Hennie Scorbinski, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht (captain), 11 Joe Seerane, 10 Gerhard Nortier, 9 Tiaan Dorfling, 8 Juan ‘Spanner’ Pretorius, 7 Ernie Strydom, 6 Philip de Wet, 5 Victor Kruger, 4 Siyanda Ndlovu, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 2 JC Oberholzer, 1 Henry Scharneck.
Replacements: 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Zander de Kock, 18 Lodewyk Uys, 19 Siya Mdaka, 20 Andries Botha, 21 Ruan Jacobs, 22 Terswin Raubenheimer, 23 Mashudu Mafela.
Maties v Shimlas
Danie Craven Stadium (Stellenbosch)
Kick-off: 7pm
My prediction: Maties by 14
Maties: 15 André Smith, 14 Ryan Nell, 13 Wessel Coetzee, 12 Louis Jordaan, 11 Dean Hammand, 10 André Kemp, 9 Donald Stevens, 8 Tertius Daniller, 7 Helmut Lehmann (captain), 6 Sam Mabombo, 5 Hugo Kloppers, 4 Grant Hattingh, 3 Hein van der Merwe, 2 Gareth Light, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Alfred Ries, 17 Brummer Badenhorst, 18 Reniel Hugo, 19 JP Swanepoel, 20 Boela Abrahams, 21 Jarryd Buys, 22 Clearance Khumalo, 23 Os Hamman.
Shimlas: 15 Nico Scheepers, 14 Divandré Strydom, 13 Robbie van Schalkwyk, 12 Earl Snyman, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Rynhardt Erwee, 9 Kevin Luiters, 8 Fanie van der Walt, 7 Oupa Nohoje, 6 Pieter Labuschagnè (captain), 5 JC Astle, 4 Wilken Heyns, 3 Ian Potgieter, 2 PW van Vuuren, 1 Charles Marais.
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 John-Henry Harris, 18 Wessel Zietsman, 19 Armand Koster, 20 Pieter Rademan, 21 Erick Colyn, 22 Franna du Toit, 23 Stephan Kotze.
TUT v UCT
TUT Stadium (Tshwane)
Kick-off: 7pm
My prediction: UCT by 7
TUT: 15 Hagen Mumba, 14 Ruan van Loo, 13 Rikus de Beer, 12 Brahm du Preez, 11 Craig Pheiffer, 10 Hansie Graaff, 9 Nico Smuts, 8 Wikus Botes, 7 Yves Basiya, 6 Ryno Coetzee, 5 JJ Breett, 4 Gavin Engelbrecht, 3 Zandre Grobler, 2 Johan Pieterse (captain), 1 Coert van Gerve.
Replacements: 16 Dandre van der Westhuyzen, 17 Nico van den Heever, 18 Peter Matthews, 19 Ryno Lopes, 20 Manny Raposo, 21 Melcolm Griffiths, 22 Craig van Rooi, 23 Nathi Sethusse.
UCT: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Damian de Allende, 13 Tiger Bax, 12 Michael Morris, 11 Mark Winter, 10 Nick Holton, 9 Liam Slatem, 8 Rayn Smid, 7 Zandy Macdonald, 6 Ntsolo Setlaba (captain), 5 Levi Odendaal, 4 Brad Bosman, 3 Francois van Wyk, 2 Dayne Jans, 1 Wes Chetty.
Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Adriaan Botha, 18 James Kilroe, 19 Greg Mallett, 20 Ricky Schroeder, 21 Paul Cohen, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 Digby Webb.
