The Lions will be supremely confident, but will WP give them that amount of ball and space? Monster forward battles loom in Bloem and Durbs. All the teams, refs, times, odds and predictions …
Tank Lanning
No test rugby to use as an excuse to get that pink ticket, so you might have to fight your battles wisely. Lions vs WP in a pub after work disguised as “Entertaining important overseas clients”, Saturday morning at the mall buying those dastardly curtains needed for the bathroom, and then an all-out assault on the coolerbox and Weber for the afternoon games …
Friday 30 August
19:10 Golden Lions vs Western Province, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden, Sieg van Staden
Television match official: Willie Roos
First on the log visits fourth on the log, and WP will take a little heart out of that, but given the Lions 62-23 hammering of the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld last weekend, and the truly incredible tries they have scored this season, it will be against a side brimming with confidence. This while the visitors are off a 1 point win in Kimberley that could so easily have been a reverse had the Griquas embraced any sort of tactical nous. Last week it was all about the now famous Cape defence, but in contrast, this week Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has highlighted ball retention as the key to beating the Lions. The aim, thus being to regain possession from kicks and then hold onto it. And in aiming to achieve that he has brought in Nic Groom and Tiaan Liebenberg. The spotlight will obviously be on Elton Jantjies, who is back in the Lions side and no doubt keen to show his Super Rugby team mates that he can actually play rugby. Sure the Lions’ tails will be up, but this WP side will be aiming to cut down on errors, not give away as much possession as the Bulls did last week, and certainly offer a better defence when the Lions do have a go with ball in hand – which they are extremely good at. Up front the battle between Pat Cilliers and CJ van der Linde will be a fun one to keep an eye on, and as with all the games thus far, go a long way to deciding the match.
My prediction: WP by 3
Oddschecker odds: Lions (4/6) to beat WP (6/4)
Superbru Community: Lions by 2
Lions: 15 Marnitz Boshoff, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Robert de Bruyn, 12 Dylan Des Fountain, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Guy Cronjé, 8 Lambert Groenewald, 7 Derick Minnie (captain), 6 Warwick Tecklenburg, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Willie Britz, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 CJ van der Linde
Bench: 16. Robbie Coetzee, 17. Jacques van Rooyen, 18. Hugo Kloppers, 19. JJ Breedt, 20. Jaco Kriel, 21. Tian Meyer, 22. Andries Coetzee
WP: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Bench: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Gerbrandt Grobler, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Tim Swiel, 22 Michael van der Spuy
Saturday 31 August
15:00 Free State vs Griquas, Bloemfontein
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Francois de Bruin Francois
Television match official: Gerrie Coetzee
One for the fat boys with flat ears! Expect an almighty tussle up front between the two sides that have arguably best come to terms with the new scrum laws. Both teams off very narrow losses last week, both teams having played three and won only one, and both teams having gone down to WP by just the single point – Griquas at home, and the Cheetahs at Newlands, though. Could a game get any tougher to call? Tweaks up front for the Cheetahs that I believe strengthen their scrum – Trevor Nyakane shifts to his preferred loosehead, while the powerful Rossouw de Klerk gets a rare start at tighthead. And they will be tasked with shifting a Griquas scrum that has dominated all sides thus far, with the powerfully built Ryno Barnes deserved of plenty credit given that the call up of Lourens Adriaanse to the Boks has not stopped their scrum rampage. It will again be an abrasive grudge match between the sides that make up the Cheetahs Super Rugby franchise, with no quarter asked or given. But playing at home, and likely to at least get parity up front, I see the class of the likes of Rob Ebersohn and Johann Sadie shining through.
My prediction: Free State by 5
Oddschecker odds: Free State (2/7) to beat Griquas (9/2)
Superbru Community: Free State by 7
Free State: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Boom Prinsloo (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Teboho Mohoje, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Hercu Liebenberg, 1 Trevor Nyakane
Bench: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 16 Wian du Preez, 18 Waltie Vermeulen, 19 Davon Raubenheimer, 20 Kevin Luiters, 21 Willie du Plessis, 22 Piet Lindeque
Griquas: 15 PJ Vermeulen, 14 Nico Scheepers, 13 JP Nel, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Burger Schoeman, 6 Carel Greeff, 5 Rory Arnold, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Ryno Barnes (captain), 1 Steph Roberts
Bench: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Brummer Badenhorst, 18 Patrick O’Brien, 19 Marnus Schoeman, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Du Randt Gerber, 22 Richard Lawson
17:05 Sharks vs Blue Bulls, Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Reuben Rossouw
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman
Just imagine the psyche of the Bulls right now. They take 60 from the Lions, see 5 former players (who, at some stage would have not been released to play for the Bulls while playing for the Boks) released by SARU to play for their French clubs, and lose Zane Kirchner and Chiliboy Ralepelle to the Bok squad. This compared to a Sharks side that did well to edge a highly competitive Cheetahs side last week to go second on the log. A side that welcomes Odwa Ndungane, Cobus Reinach, and Craig Burden back, and one that will be playing at home on Saturday. You can never write a side in light blue off though, and it is tremendously exciting to see Handre Pollard in at 10 to replace the injured Tony Jantjies. The man has talent, but he is young and has been messed around recently by being played at 10 and 12 by both Tukkies and the SA U20 side. Waylon Murray will start at outside centre and fit-again Akona Ndungane at wing, ready to face his twin brother! Frik Kirsten is back at tighthead prop and that will tighten things up in a battle between the two packs that have arguably dealt worst with the new scrum call. The Bulls will bounce back, but not high enough to win at the Shark Tank.
My prediction: Sharks by 5
Oddschecker odds: Sharks (2/5) to beat Bulls (11/4)
Superbru Community: Sharks by 5
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Louis Ludik, 12 Heimar Williams, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jacques Botes (captain), 7 Jean Deysel, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 Peet Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick
Bench: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Justin Downey, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Butch James, 22 Jaco van Tonder
Blue Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Ulrich Beyers, 11 Akona Ndungane, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Morné Mellett
Bench: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 David Bullbring, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Tiaan Schoeman, 22 Clayton Blommetjies
