Well, given that there has been an 81% increase in the average TV audience of the Vodacom Cup, perhaps a preview of the weekend’s semi finals is in order!
One of WP or the Pumas will make history on Saturday as neither side has ever made it past the semi-final stage of the Vodacom Cup. Understandable on the part of the Pink Pumas, but pretty damn diabolical from the Blue and White hoops …
They play each other at Newlands on Saturday afternoon to decide the second finalist, to be held on the weekend of 18/19 May at the venue of the top team from the North Section.
The other finalist will be decided on Friday afternoon in Kimberley – Either Griquas or the Blue Bulls. Between them, they have won the title seven times and been runners up eight times – Real VC pros!
If Griquas win, they will host the final. If the Blue Bulls and the Pumas win, the final will be in Mpumalanga, and if it’s the Blue Bulls against WP, the final will be in Pretoria. Not ideal for the Cape kids as they are the only team this season to have gone unbeaten, but like a lot in this tournament, it’s one of those strange little rules …
WP followed their seven wins in the league with a comprehensive home win against the Golden Lions last weekend (58-34) and must be the favourites at Newlands.
The Griquas and Blue Bulls semi is a replay of their first round clash in early March, won comfortably by the team from Kimberley (36-17) in Pretoria, the home team totally outplayed that day, conceding six tries to two.
It is also a replay of last year’s semi-final, though, and in that game it was Blue Bulls who put pay to Griquas 47-34 to advance to their fifth successive Vodacom Cup final.
It should be a pretty spicy affair with the Blue Bulls have only lost one out of their 10 appearances in the semi-finals, while Griquas have won six from eight.
The Vodacom Cup Semi-finals:
Friday, May 11 2012
Griquas v Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Referee: Quinton Immelman
Saturday, May 12 2012
Western Province v Pumas
Kick-off: 16:15
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Semi-finals history:
Western Province
2008 – lost to Toyota Free State XV 27-22 in Cape Town
2000 – lost to GWK Griquas 41-27 in Kimberley
Griquas
2009 – beat Sharks XV 36-25 in Durban
2008 – lost to Vodacom Blue Bulls 40-20 in Pretoria
2007 – beat Ford Pumas 46-26 in Kimberley
2005 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 16-13 in Kimberley
2001 – lost to Regent Boland Kavaliers 47-31 in Wellington
2000 – beat DHL WP 41-27 in Kimberley
1999 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 24-17 in Kimberley
1998 – beat Sharks XV by 47-28 in Kimberley
Pumas
2007 – lost to GWK Griquas 46-26 in Kimberley
Blue Bulls
2011 – beat GWK Griquas 47-34 in Kimberley
2010 – beat Sharks XV 33-3 in Pretoria
2009 – beat Leopards 45-34 in Pretoria
2008 – beat GWK Griquas 40-20 in Pretoria
2007 – beat Leopards 32-25 in Pretoria
2005 – lost to Leopards 17-11 in Pretoria
2004 – beat Toyota Free State XV 24-20 in Bloemfontein
2003 – beat Leopards 47-19 in Pretoria
2002 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 47-45 in Wellington
2001 – beat Toyota Free State XV 39-38 in Pretoria
Note: In 2006 there was no knock-out rounds – the Valke and Sharks XV progressed to the final, won by the Valke in Brakpan.
Vodacom Cup Previous Winners:
1998: Griquas
1999: Golden Lions
2000: Free State
2001: Blue Bulls
2002: Golden Lions
2003: Golden Lions
2004: Golden Lions
2005: Griquas
2006: Valke
2007: Griquas
2008: Blue Bulls
2009: Griquas
2010: Blue Bulls
2011: Pampas XV
http://www.rugby365.com/news/2881345.htm
Who wrote this preview on Rugby365.com
Very similar to yours.
Ha Ha …. Good spotting Gert. SARU send out a preview for both the Vodacom Cup and Super15 each week, which all websites will use … Either fully or partially … I see they used it in it’s entirety.
Does this make me the only person who actually read two different Vodacom Cup previews?