[2015 Currie Cup] Round 3

[TRF_stormer2010]

For the Stormers I'm hoping the bench will do it for us. Particularly I'm looking forward to seeing how Chris Cloete goes off the bench. Apparently he plays a bit like Michael Hooper thouh I havn't seen him in action yet. It'd be good if WP/Stormers actually had a fetcher on the flanks again for once since Flouw left (I love Burger, Kolisi and Vermeulen but they aren't fetchers though they've did well enough in tandem while Deon Fourie was makeshift).

 

[TobesHodges]

This Griquas vs Cheetahs game is awesome!!

 

[TRF_heineken]

Wow!

those 2 games on Saturday was something to watch.

First the Sharks vs. Lions Game:
It was a tug-of-war all throughout the game up the the 63rd minute when the Lions scored a try to take the lead. And then it seemed like the Sharks didn't have anything else left in the tank. Missing tackles, giving away penalties, all silly mistakes they didn't make. They had only 2 missed tackles at half time out of 95 tackles. That's bloody good! Anthony Volminck's interception try was just the nail in the coffin.

Blue Bulls vs Western Province:
it was a kick-a-thon the first half with the WP leading at half time 16-15. But then the 2nd half produced some awesome rugby. First the charge down kick in his own goal area by Tiaan Schoeman, with the ball landing in the hands of Seabelo Senatla on the tryline to give the WP an early second half lead. At one stage the WP was leading 29-15. Then the Blue Bulls just started to kick into another gear. Francois Hougaard, Burger Odendaal and Warwick Gelant creating space out of nowhere to put players away. What impressed me the most was the handling by the bulls. Marvin Orie's offload to Ismaiel for the try and Gelant's pass without looking to Ulengo was just amazing. Final score: Blue Bulls 47 - 29 Western Province

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'm still reeling from Province's loss. I was somewhat dreading this match because the Bulls have looked dangerous since from clubbing that Japanese team which I thought at first was more to do with the Japanese team but the Bulls' rookies haven't stood back and I didn't exect them to gel so early on while WP has so far been flattered and barely put away the Free State and even EP earlier in the off season.

How glad was I for the 14 point lead (a lot of opportunism and luck involved though) but then... like I said, I'm still reeling. It's as if we just didn't have any players on the field from 55 to 70 minutes on the clock. Lleyds' yellow was a tad harsh I felt but that is what we have been seeing (refs being super strict when it comes to competing in the air) but we really shouldn't have fallen to pieces like that. Its really worrying...

Congrats to the Bulls though. Hougaard, Odendaal and Gelant were the difference. Gonna be interesting to see what shape your backline takes when you get Serfonten and Kriel back.

The good news for WP is Kebble seems like a legitimate replacement for Kitshoff. I expected he might be as he kicked on well those few chances he got replacing Kitshoff but one always wondered whether that was because Kitshoff had already done the work upfront. Seems like Kebble and Koch should fill the void left by Kitshoff and Malherbe's departures nicely enough. The depth up front though could become a problem.