Tank Lanning
The Boks are back and the log looks like a spring holding Kobus Wiese up … Talk about adding spice to the Currie Cup! And John O’Neil has resigned … This great tournament might just survive! Sure, some of the Boks might prefer to be round the fire tanning a chop, but once out there between the white lines, I reckon they will get into it again, even if the body is being kept together by Elastoplast …
Currie Cup Log:
Sharks Pld:9 W:6 Pts:30
Golden Lions Pld:9 W:6 Pts:28
WP Pld:9 W:4 Pts:20
Griquas Pld:9 W:4 Pts:20
Free State Pld:9 W:3 Pts:18
Blue Bulls Pld:9 W:4 Pts:18
The Sharks and Lions have guaranteed home semi finals, but are still scrumming for that top spot, while the bottom four fight it out not only for a semi final, but also to avoid the promotion / relegation match against the winner of this weekend’s 1st division final … Who needs the Four Nations?
How I see it panning out:
Friday:
19:10 Sharks vs Griquas
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Reuben Rossouw
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
My prediction: Sharks by 14
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Bench: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Peet Marais, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Griquas: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Jean Stemmet, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5Martin Muller, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 1 Steph Roberts.
Bench: 16 Matt Dobson, 17 Ivann Espag, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Wesley Wilkins, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Richard Lawson.
Saturday:
14:30 Eastern Province vs Pumas
Referee: Jason Jaftha
Assistants: Pro Legoete, Daniel Fortuin
TMO: Johann Meuwesen
My prediction: EP by 7
EP: 15 SP Marais, 14 Paul Perez, 13 Wayne Stevens, 12 Tiger Mangweni, 11 Marcello Sampson, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Falie Oelschig, 8 Cornell du Preez, 7 Devin Oosthuizen, 6 Wimpie van der Walt, 5 David Bullbring, 4 Darron Nell (captain), 3 Clint Newland, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Bench: 16 Frank Herne, 17 André Schlechter, 18 Wayne van Heerden, 19 Mpho Mbiyozo, 20 Scott Mathie, 21 Wesley Dunlop, 22 Siyanda Grey.
Pumas: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 MJ Mentz, 13 Jerome Pretorius, 12 JW Jonker (captain), 11 Carl Bezuidenhout, 10 JC Roos, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 RW Kember, 7 Uzair Cassiem, 6 Jaco Bouwer, 5 Willem Serfontein, 4 Rudi Matthee, 3 Ashley Buys, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Corné Fourie.
Bench: 16 Drew van Coller, 17 De-Jay Terblanche, 18 Nqubeko Zulu, 19 Renaldo Bothma, 20 Francois de Klerk, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Ashwin Scott.
17:05 Western Province vs Free State
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker, Linston Manuels
TMO: Deon van Blommestein
My prediction: WP by 7
Western Province: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Don Armand, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Bench: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Brok Harris, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Marcel Brache, 22 Gio Aplon
Free State: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Andries Strauss, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Francois Uys, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Marcel van der Merwe
Bench: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Philip Snyman, 22 Rayno Benjamin
19:10 Golden Lions vs Blue Bulls
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Stefan Breytenbach
TMO: Johan Greeff
My prediction: Bulls by 5
Lions: 15 Ruan Combrinck, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Deon Van Rensburg, 12 Alwyn Hollenbach, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Butch James (captain), 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Jaco Kriel, 6 Derick Minnie, 5 Paul Willemse, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 CJ van der Linde
Bench: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Warren Whiteley, 20 Whestley Moolman, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Lionel Mapoe
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 5 Flip van der Merwe, 4 Juandre Kruger, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Morne Mellett
Bench: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Louis Fouche, 22 Dean Greyling
Under 21 fixtures:
Friday
16:45 – Sharks vs Leopards
17:00 – Border vs Western Province
Saturday
12:00 – EP vs SWD
14:45 – Free State vs Blue Bulls
U21 log:
Blue Bulls 46
Sharks 37
WP 36
Lions 27
Free State 27
Leopards 26
Blitzbokke fixtures on Saturday:
04:20 South Africa vs Canada
07:36 South Africa vs USA
To the coolerbox and biltong stash my friends … This is a goodie!
