Absa Currie Cup First Division Final Preview |
October 14 - The SWD Eagles will be aiming to secure their third Absa Currie Cup First Division title while the EP Kings will be out to achieve their maiden title on Friday when these sides go head to head in the final at Outeniqua Park at 19h10.
The George side will play in their fourth Absa Currie Cup First Division final while the EP Kings will make their second appearance in a final. The Port Elizabeth outfit conceded a 41-20 defeat to the Blue Bulls during the 2000 First Division final.
The hosts secured a 32-30 semi-final victory over the Griffons last Friday to book their place in this weekend’s final. They previously claimed the Absa Currie Cup First Division title in 2007 when they defeated Eastern Province 38-3 at Outeniqua Park; and in 2002 when they recorded a 29-20 over Border to secure their first title.
The EP Kings, despite featuring in two finals, have not achieved any silverware in the history of the competition. The visitors conceded a defeat against the Eagles in 2002 and also suffered a 41-20 loss to the Blue Bulls back in 2000.
The SWD Eagles will also have the advantage of playing the final at Outeniqua Park where they have only lost three home games in the last two seasons. They secured home victories over the Valke (57-35), Griffons (42-27), Border Bulldogs (33-12) and the Boland Cavaliers (45-36) in this season’s competition, but conceded a 19-17 defeat to the EP Kings in week six of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup First Division.
The hosts defeated the Griffons (32-30) in their semi-final game last weekend. They only suffered one home defeat against the Pumas during last year’s Absa Currie Cup First Division and against the Griffons in the 2008 season.
The Eastern Province Kings suffered only one defeat on the road during this year’s Absa Currie Cup when they conceded a 27-18 loss against the Griffons in week eight in Welkom.
EP Kings winger Norman Nelson is currently the joint-leading try-scorer along with the Valke’s Coert Cronje in the Absa Currie Cup First Division – nine, while the SWD Eagles’ Ambrose Barends is the leading points’ scorer in the competition – 127.
The last time these sides last met at Outeniqua Park: A missed conversion in injury time by replacement SWD Eagles flyhalf Eric Zana gave the Eastern Province Kings a 19-17 victory in this game, which was dominated by the boots of Ambrose Barends (Eagles) and Donald Stevens (Kings) who each kicked four penalties for their respective sides.
Only two tries were scored in that game, by Norman Nelson (EP Kings) and Baldwin McBean (Eagles).
In the Absa Under-21 Championship, Eastern Province who ended the league phase in first position, will take on the Valke in the final of the B Section. This game kicks off at 16h30 and will be the curtain raiser to the Absa Currie Cup First Division final.
The other fixture at Outeniqua Park on Friday afternoon will feature the SWD Eagles and the Valke who will battle for silverware in the Absa Under-19 Championship. This game kicks off at 14h30. The Eagles U19s ended the B section in third position on the log while the Valke finished in fourth place.
Absa Currie Cup First Division History (Finals):
2009 – Barloworld Toyota Pumas 47 SWD Eagles19
2008 – Platinum Leopards 26 Griffons 31
2007 – SWD Eagles 38 Eastern Province 3
2006 – Platinum Leopards 13 Boland Cavaliers 37
2005 – Valke 16 Pumas 25
2004 – Boland Cavaliers 23 Border Bulldogs 22
2003 – Platinum Leopards 25 Boland Cavaliers 27
2002 – SWD Eagles 29 Border Bulldogs 20
2001 – Boland Cavaliers 41 Platinum Leopards 27
2000 – Blue Bulls 41 Eastern Province 20
Absa Currie Cup First Division Final Preview:
Friday 15 October 2010. Kickoff: 19h10
Outeniqua Park, George. Live on SuperSport 1
Referee: Pro Legoete (SARRA)
Assistant referees: Joey Salmans (AR1), Reuben Rossouw (AR2)
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
Head to Head – SWD Eagles v Eastern Province Kings (since 2005):
P: 12 W: 9 L: 3 PF: 298 PA: 180
05/08/2005 SWD 17 EP 36 EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
09/08/2006 SWD 47 EP 8 Outeniqua Park, George
22/09/2006 SWD 36 EP 17 EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
04/08/2007 SWD 13 EP 6 EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
22/09/2007 SWD 17 EP 34 Outeniqua Park, George
06/10/2007 SWD 38 EP 3 Outeniqua Park, George
19/07/2008 SWD 29 EP 6 Outeniqua Park, George
09/08/2008 SWD 26 EP 21 EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
22/08/2009 SWD 15 EP 6 Despatch
03/10/2009 SWD 18 EP 16 Outeniqua Park, George
20/08/2010 SWD 17 EP 19 Outeniqua Park, George
01/10/2010 SWD 25 EP 8 Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, PE
SWD Eagles’ recent form at home:
• The SWD Eagles have lost three home games in the last two seasons at Outeniqua Park in George. They secured home victories over the Valke (57-35), Griffons (42-27), Border Bulldogs (33-12) and the Boland Cavaliers (45-36) in this season’s competition, but conceded a 19-17 defeat to the EP Kings in week six of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup First Division.
• The hosts defeated the Griffons (32-30) in their semi-final game last weekend. They only suffered one home defeat against the Pumas during last year’s Absa First Division and against the Griffons in the 2008 season.
SWD Eagles’ Road to the Final:
• SWD Eagles 32 Griffons 30 (Semi-final)
• Eastern Province Kings 8 SWD Eagles 25
• SWD Eagles 57 Valke 35
• Boland Cavaliers 38 SWD Eagles 33
• SWD Eagles 42 Griffons 27
• Border Bulldogs 7 SWD Eagles 17
• SWD Eagles 17 Eastern Province Kings 19
• Valke 47 SWD Eagles 55
• SWD Eagles 45 Boland Cavaliers 36
• Griffons 14 SWD Eagles 18
• SWD Eagles 33 Border Bulldogs 12
Eastern Province Kings’ recent form on the road:
• The Port Elizabeth side recorded a 19-17 win over the SWD Eagles in week six, a 33-22 victory over the Boland Cavaliers in week three and a 42-28 away win over the Border Bulldogs in East London during week one of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup First Division.
• The Eastern Province Kings though suffered their first defeat of the competition when they went down to the Griffons (27-18) in Welkom in week eight.
Eastern Province Kings’ road to the Final:
• Eastern Province 26 Boland Cavaliers 25 (Semi-final)
• Eastern Province Kings 8 SWD Eagles 25
• Valke 35 Eastern Province Kings 50
• Eastern Province Kings 23 Boland Cavaliers16
• Griffons 27 Eastern Province Kings 18
• Eastern Province Kings 49 Border Bulldogs 6
• SWD Eagles 17 Eastern Province Kings 19
• Eastern Province Kings 38 Valke 3
• Boland Cavaliers 22 Eastern Province Kings 33
• Eastern Province Kings 26 Griffons 25
• Border Bulldogs 28 Eastern Province Kings 42
Absa Currie Cup First Division – Leading points’ scorers:
T C P D Pts
Ambrose Barends SWD Eagles 2 21 24 1 127
Jacquin Jansen Boland Cavaliers 4 30 13 0 119
Jannie Myburgh Griffons 0 27 14 0 96
Logan Basson Border Bulldogs 5 13 12 0 87
Monty Dumond EP Kings 0 10 8 1 47
Coert Cronje Valke 9 0 0 0 45
Norman Nelson Eastern Province Kings 9 0 0 0 45
Absa Currie Cup First Division – Leading try-scorers:
Coert Cronje Valke 9
Norman Nelson Eastern Province Kings 9
Cornal Hendricks Boland Cavaliers 8
Kyle Hendricks Valke 7
Baldwin McBean SWD Eagles 7
Willie le Roux Boland Cavaliers 6
Werner Griesel Griffons 6
JW Jonker Griffons 6
Jeremy John Plaatjies Boland Cavaliers 6
Shaun Raubenheimer SWD Eagles 6
Hendrik van der Nest Griffons 6
Absa Currie Cup First Division log – 2010
P W D L PF PA PD B Pts
SWD Eagles 10 8 0 2 342 243 99 7 39
Eastern Province Kings 10 8 0 2 306 204 102 5 37
Boland Cavaliers 10 5 0 5 359 305 54 9 29
Griffons 10 5 0 5 350 250 100 8 28
Border Bulldogs 10 3 0 7 264 396 -132 4 16
Valke 10 1 0 9 276 499 -223 7 11
Issued by SARU Communications |
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