Absa Currie Cup Semi-finals Preview |
October 14 - With a semi-final win rate of close to 90 percent, history suggests that the Vodacom Blue Bulls will carry the favourites tag in preparation of their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semi-final game against The Sharks in Durban on Saturday at 14h30.
The defending champions boast the best semi-finals winning record of all South African sides that compete in Absa Currie Cup. The Vodacom Blue Bulls have won an amazing 88 percent of their semi-finals, losing only two of their 17 games at this stage in the competition.
The Sharks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls have met in three previous semi-finals, with the team from Pretoria winning all of these games – in 2002 (22-19), 1998 (31-17) and back in 1970 (24-8).
However, John Plumtree’s troops will use their recent history against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban to their advantage as they prepare for their playoff clash. The hosts have won their last five games against the defending champions in matches played at The Absa Stadium Durban, which include a 14-9 victory in the final of the 2008 competition.
The Sharks have enjoyed a successful home campaign during this year’s competition. They secured seven victories in Durban – over the Platinum Leopards (63-6), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (30-16), GWK Griquas (48-30), Vodacom Western Province (27-16), Xerox Lions (48-19), Vodacom Blue Bulls (34-28) and the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (27-17). The hosts have conceded only two home defeats during the last two seasons in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, one of those in last year’s semi-final.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls, who ended the league phase of the competition in fourth position on the log, have not enjoyed the best of form on the road during this season’s competition. The Pretoria outfit conceded four defeats – against the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (22-21) in Witbank, Vodacom Western Province (15-12) in Cape Town, Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (20-14) in Bloemfontein and The Sharks (34-28) in Durban.
There will be very little separating Vodacom Western Province and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs when these sides meet up in the second Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semi-final at Newlands on Saturday at 17h00.
Both sides secured six victories in the 12 Absa Currie Cup games they played against each other since 2005. Vodacom WP have won four of their last six games played at Newlands against the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, but the Bloemfontein side hold the advantage when it comes to their history in semi-finals.
The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs have a 50 percent success rate in semi-finals and defeated Vodacom WP during their last two visits to Newlands in playoff games in the Absa Currie Cup. In 2005 the Bloemfontein side recorded a 16-11 victory over Vodacom WP and in 2004; they toppled the hosts 17-11.
Province, who have a 60 percent semi-final winning record at Newlands, lost their last four semi-finals in the Absa Currie Cup. Their last victory in a final-four clash happened back in 2001, when they defeated the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 40-18. It was also in 2001 that Vodacom WP last claimed silverware in the Absa Currie Cup after they defeated The Sharks (29-24) in the final played at Newlands.
Three of the competition’s leading points’ scorers could also be in action this weekend. The leading points’ scorer in the 2010 competition – Vodacom WP flyhalf William de Waal (199), who became the second leading points’ scorer (1412) in the history of the Absa Currie Cup after he added 16 points with the boot during his side’s 33-21 victory over The Sharks last week, will probably go head to head against his opposite number Louis Strydom (146), who is the fifth leading points’ scorer this season.
In the other Absa Currie Cup semi-final clash The Sharks pivot Patrick Lambie (169), who has scored the fourth most points this season, will aim to break his union’s losing streak in semi-finals against the Vodacom Blue Bulls. Jacques-Louis Potgieter of the Bulls, joint-second on the list with 173 points, will probably be on the bench.
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-finalist winning percentages:
Vodacom Blue Bulls
P W L W %
Home 10 9 1 90
Away 7 6 1 86
Total 17 15 2 88
Vodacom Western Province
P W L W %
Home 10 6 4 60
Away 8 6 2 75
Total 18 12 6 67
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs
P W L W %
Home 4 2 2 50
Away 12 6 6 50
Total 16 8 8 50
The Sharks
P W L W %
Home 14 7 7 50
Away 4 0 4 0
Total 18 7 11 38
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-finals Preview:
The Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls
V
The Absa Stadium Durban
Saturday 16 October 2010. Kickoff: 14h30
Referee: Marius Jonker (SARRA)
Assistant Referees: Jonathan Kaplan (AR1), Christi du Preez (AR2)
TMO: Johan Meuwesen
Head to Head – The Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls (since 2005):
P: 12 W: 9 L: 3 PF: 320 PA: 293
05/08/2005 The Sharks 18 Blue Bulls 14 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
21/07/2006 The Sharks 37 Blue Bulls 28 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
16/09/2006 The Sharks 32 Blue Bulls 50 The Absa Stadium, Durban
28/07/2007 The Sharks 29 Blue Bulls 10 The Absa Stadium, Durban
21/09/2007 The Sharks 26 Blue Bulls 18 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
05/07/2008 The Sharks 14 Blue Bulls 35 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
06/09/2008 The Sharks 34 Blue Bulls 25 The Absa Stadium, Durban
25/10/2008 The Sharks 14 Blue Bulls 9 The Absa Stadium, Durban (Final)
24/07/2009 The Sharks 19 Blue Bulls 13 The Absa Stadium, Durban
12/09/2009 The Sharks 29 Blue Bulls 23 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
17/07/2010 The Sharks 34 Blue Bulls 28 The Absa Stadium, Durban
04/09/2010 The Sharks 34 Blue Bulls 40 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
The Sharks’ recent form at home:
• The hosts, who have recorded seven home victories over the Platinum Leopards (63-6), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (30-16), GWK Griquas (48-30), Vodacom Western Province (27-16), Xerox Lions (48-19), Vodacom Blue Bulls (34-28) and the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (27-17) in this season’s competition, have conceded only two home defeats during the last two seasons in the Absa Currie Cup.
• Both defeats occurred last season, against Vodacom Western Province and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (semi-final).
Vodacom Blue Bulls’ recent form on the road:
• The defending champions secured away victories over the GWK Griquas (48-36) in Kimberley, Xerox Lions (32-18) in Johannesburg and Platinum Leopards (39-26) in Potchefstroom, but conceded four defeats on the road against the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (22-21), Vodacom Western Province (15-12), Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (20-14) and The Sharks (34-28) in this season’s Absa Currie Cup.
• The Vodacom Blue Bulls conceded four defeats on the road during last year’s competition against Vodacom Western Province, Vodacom Free State Cheetahs, The Sharks and the Xerox Lions. The visitors though defeated WP in their 2009 Absa Currie Cup semi-final clash at Newlands.
Additional game information:
• The Sharks flyhalf Patrick Lambie is currently the fourth leading points’ scorer in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup – 169.
• The Vodacom Blue Bulls flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter is currently the joint second leading points’ scorer in this season’s competition – 173.
• The Sharks winger Lwazi Mvovo is currently the second leading try-scorer in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup – 12. He is nine tries behind GWK Griquas winger Bjorn Basson.
• Prop Jaco Engels has played a combined total of 95 Absa Currie Cup games for the Vodacom Blue Bulls, Boland Cavaliers and the Platinum Leopards.
• The Sharks lock Alistair Hargreaves made his Springbok debut in Cardiff earlier this year. He also represented the SA Schools in 2004.
• Utility loose-forward Derick Kuün (Vodacom Blue Bulls) represented the SA Schools in 2002 and the SA Sevens in 2005.
• The Vodacom Blue Bulls flanker Deon Stegmann (2004) and centre Stefan Watermeyer (2005, 2006) both represented the SA Schools.
• Vodacom Blue Bulls flanker Dewald Potgieter captained the SA Schools team in 2005.
• The Sharks No 8 Ryan Kankowski has played in 16 Tests for the Springboks. He also represented the SA Emerging Boks in 2007.
• Vodacom Blue Bulls flyhalf Francois Brummer and winger Gerhard van den Heever both competed at the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship in Japan for the SA Under-20s. Stephan Dippenaar represented the Baby Boks at the 2008 tournament.
• Referee Marius Jonker will handle this game between the Vodacom Blue Bulls and The Sharks in Durban. Jonker was also named as the reserve referee for the Absa Currie Cup final which takes place on 30 October 2010.
Vodacom Western Province v Vodacom Free State Cheetahs
V
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Saturday 16 October 2010. Kickoff: 17h00
Referee: Mark Lawrence (SARRA)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (AR1), Cobus Wessels (AR2)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
Head to Head – Vodacom Western Province v Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (since 2005):
P: 12 W: 6 L: 6 PF: 256 PA: 253
24/06/2005 WP 22 FS Cheetahs 25 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
15/10/2005 WP 11 FS Cheetahs 16 Newlands, Cape Town (Semi-final)
15/07/2006 WP 20 FS Cheetahs 13 Newlands, Cape Town
08/09/2006 WP 13 FS Cheetahs 28 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
28/07/2007 WP 13 FS Cheetahs 45 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
22/09/2007 WP 34 FS Cheetahs 20 Newlands, Cape Town
05/07/2008 WP 9 FS Cheetahs 3 Newlands, Cape Town
06/09/2008 WP 35 FS Cheetahs 17 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
24/07/2009 WP 19 FS Cheetahs 13 Newlands, Cape Town
12/09/2009 WP 31 FS Cheetahs 33 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
10/07/2010 WP 25 FS Cheetahs 11 Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
27/08/2010 WP 24 FS Cheetahs 29 Newlands, Cape Town
Vodacom Western Province’s recent form at home:
• The hosts suffered their first and only home defeat of the 2010 season in week eight when the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs recorded a 29-24 victory at Newlands.
• Vodacom WP secured home victories over The Sharks (33-21), GWK Griquas (48-32), Platinum Leopards (59-17), Vodacom Blue Bulls (15-12), Xerox Lions (32-0) and the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (54-13).
• Province conceded one home defeat (a 21-19 semi-final loss to the Vodacom Blue Bulls) during last year’s Absa Currie Cup.
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs’ recent form on the road:
• The Vodacom Free State Cheetahs recorded a 78-7 victory over the Platinum Leopards in Phokeng, a 25-23 win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in week three and a 45-30 win over the Barloworld Toyota Pumas during week five’s action in this year’s competition. They however conceded a 30-26 defeat against the Xerox Lions in week six and a 30-16 loss against The Sharks of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup.
• The visitors won four games on the road during last year’s Absa Currie Cup including their semi-final win over The Sharks in Durban.
Additional game information:
• Vodacom WP flyhalf Willem de Waal is currently the leading points’ scorer this season – 199. De Waal has accumulated 1412 points in his Absa Currie Cup career – 259 points for the Platinum Leopards, 811 for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs and 342 for WP since joining them in 2008.
• The Vodacom WP pivot has twice scored 212 points in a season, back in 2006 and 2007 for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs.
• Vodacom Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Louis Strydom is the fifth leading points’ scorers in the Absa Currie Cup (2010) – 146.
• Vodacom Western Province winger Gio Aplon, who made his Springbok debut this year, represented the SA Sevens during 2007 – 2009. He is currently the third leading try-scorer in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup with eight tries.
• Winger Jongi Nokwe has scored 47 Absa Currie Cup tries in his career. (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs – 24, Boland Cavaliers – 23).
• Vodacom WP scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage represented the SA Under-20s during the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship in Wales.
• Vodacom Free State Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn captained the SA Under-20s during the 2009 IRB Junior World Championships while prop Coenie Oosthuizen also competed in the 2009 IRB Junior World Championships for the Baby Boks.
• Referee Mark Lawrence will handle the game between the Vodacom Western Province and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday.
Absa Currie Cup Semi-finals kickoff dates and times:
Friday, 15 October 2010:
Vodacom Blue Bulls U19 v The Sharks U19 (15h00) – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 v The Sharks U21s (17h00) – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday, 16 October 2010:
The Sharks v Vodacom Blue Bulls (14h30) – The Absa Stadium Durban
Vodacom WP U19 v Platinum Leopards U19 (12h15) – Newlands, Cape Town
Vodacom WP U21 v Free State Cheetahs U21 (14h25) – Newlands, Cape Town
Vodacom WP v Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (17h00) – Newlands, Cape Town
Absa Currie Cup Semi-finals (History):
1954 1954/07/01 Orange Free State 8 Northern Transvaal 9 Bloemfontein
1956 1956/07/01 Natal 11 Western Province 10 Cape Town
1969 1969/09/27 Western Province 13 Boland 11 Cape Town
1970 1970/09/19 Natal 8 Northern Transvaal 24 Durban
1971 1971/10/02 Transvaal 16 Natal 9 Johannesburg
1973 1973/09/14 Northern Transvaal 20 Rhodesia 7 Pretoria
1973 1973/09/14 Western Province 15 Orange Free State 19 Cape Town
1974 1974/09/14 Transvaal 30 Eastern Province 6 Johannesburg
1979 1979/09/22 Eastern Province 6 Northern Transvaal 16 Port Elizabeth
1979 1979/09/22 Griquas 15 Western Province 20 Kimberley
1980 1980/09/27 Eastern Province 13 Western Province 21 Port Elizabeth
1980 1980/09/27 Northern Transvaal 49 South East Transvaal 6 Pretoria
1981 1981/09/26 Eastern Transvaal 15 Orange Free State 28 Springs
1981 1981/09/26 Northern Transvaal 36 Northern Free State 12 Pretoria
1982 1982/09/25 Northern Free State 21 Northern Transvaal 24 Welkom
1982 1982/09/25 Western Province 47 Natal 18 Cape Town
1983 1983/09/24 Natal 3 Western Province 7 Durban
1983 1983/09/24 Northern Transvaal 32 Northern Free State 15 Pretoria
1984 1984/09/29 Natal 26 Orange Free State 15 Durban
1984 1984/09/30 Western Province 53 Eastern Transvaal 0 Cape Town
1986 1986/07/01 Natal 4 Transvaal 18 Durban
1987 1987/09/19 SWA 9 Transvaal 12 Windhoek
1988 1988/09/24 Northern Free State 9 Western Province 26 Welkom
1989 1989/10/01 Western Transvaal 9 Western Province 71 Potchefstroom
1996 1996/10/19 Natal 35 Orange Free State 20 Durban
1996 1996/10/19 Northern Transvaal 21 Transvaal 31 Pretoria
1997 1997/10/18 Natal 22 Orange Free State 40 Durban
1997 1997/10/18 Western Province 38 Transvaal 18 Cape Town
1998 1998/10/24 Griquas 11 Western Province 27 Kimberley
1998 1998/10/24 Blue Bulls 31 The Sharks 17 Pretoria
1999 1999/09/04 The Sharks 45 Free State Cheetahs 8 Durban
1999 1999/09/04 Lions 81 SWD Eagles 21 Johannesburg
2000 2000/10/21 The Sharks 29 Free State Cheetahs 15 Durban
2000 2000/10/21 Western Province 43 Lions 22 Cape Town
2001 2001/10/20 The Sharks 16 Lions 9 Durban
2001 2001/10/20 Western Province 40 Free State Cheetahs 18 Cape Town
2002 2002/10/19 The Sharks 19 Blue Bulls 22 Durban
2002 2002/10/19 Free State Cheetahs 29 Lions 43 Bloemfontein
2004 2004/10/16 Blue Bulls 40 Lions 33 Pretoria
2004 2004/10/16 Western Province 11 Free State Cheetahs 17 Cape Town
2005 2005/10/15 Northern Transvaal 31 Lions 23 Pretoria
2005 2005/10/15 Western Province 11 Free State Cheetahs 16 Cape Town
2006 2006/10/07 Blue Bulls 45 Western Province 30 Pretoria
2006 2006/10/07 Free State Cheetahs 30 The Sharks 14 Bloemfontein
2007 2007/10/13 The Sharks 12 Lions 19 Durban
2007 2007/10/13 Free State Cheetahs 11 Blue Bulls 6 Bloemfontein
2008 2008/10/11 The Sharks 29 Lions 14 Durban
2008 2008/10/11 Blue Bulls 31 Free State Cheetahs 19 Pretoria
2009 2009/10/17 The Sharks 21 Free State Cheetahs 23 Durban
2009 2009/10/17 Western Province 19 Blue Bulls 21 Cape Town
Leading Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Scorers:
T C P D Pts
Willem de Waal Vodacom Western Province 0 32 45 0 199
Naas Olivier GWK Griquas 3 40 25 1 173
Jacques-Louis Potgieter Vodacom Blue Bulls 1 30 36 0 173
Patrick Lambie The Sharks 3 32 30 0 169
Louis Strydom Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 0 31 28 0 146
Elton Jantjies Xerox Lions 2 25 27 0 141
Bjorn Basson GWK Griquas 21 0 0 0 105
Elgar Watts Barloworld Toyota Pumas 9 16 9 0 104
Clayton Durand Platinum Leopards 0 16 15 0 77
Lwazi Mvovo The Sharks 12 0 0 0 60
Leading Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Try-scorers:
Bjorn Basson GWK Griquas 21
Lwazi Mvovo Sharks 12
Gio Aplon Vodacom Western Province 8
Keegan Daniel The Sharks 7
Odwa Ndungane The Sharks 7
Ashley Johnson Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 7
Shaun Venter Barloworld Toyota Pumas 7
Stefan Watermeyer Vodacom Blue Bulls 6
Michael Bondesio Platinum Leopards 6
JJ Engelbrecht Vodacom Western Province 6
Coenie Oosthuizen Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 6
Sarel Pretorius GWK Griquas 6
Absa Currie Cup Premier Division log (As it ended):
P W D L PF PA PD B Pts
The Sharks 14 10 0 4 492 300 192 12 52
Vodacom Western Province 14 10 0 4 520 280 240 8 48
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs 14 10 0 4 488 323 165 7 47
Vodacom Blue Bulls 14 9 0 5 437 374 63 11 47
Xerox Lions 14 7 0 7 401 407 -6 11 39
GWK Griquas 14 6 0 8 477 496 -19 13 37
Barloworld Toyota Pumas 14 4 0 10 329 573 -244 7 23
Platinum Leopards 14 0 0 14 263 654 -391 5 5
Issued by SARU Communications |
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