Currie Cup: Round 5

[Draggs]

15. Louis Ludik
14. Odwa Ndungane
13. Paul Jordaan
12. Meyer Bosman
11. S'bura Sithole
10. Riaan Viljoen
9. Charl McLeod
8. Keegan Daniel
7. Jean Deysel (Capt)
6. Jacques Botes
5. Anton Bresler
4. Jandre Marais
3. Wiehahn Herbst
2. Monde Hadebe
1. Dale Chadwick
Replacements
16. Pieter Dixon
17. Julian Redelinghuys
18. Peet Marais
19. Francois Kleinhans
20. Brynard Stander
21. Cobus Reinach
22. Marius Joubert

Eze, you must be pleased with the second row changes. Give Cobus a run, FFS!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Ah man!!! No Sykes! I am thrilled. We cannot lose now. Sad to see a 5-2 split with Specman out but I am thrilled about Stander being included. I think this is due to the massive number of minutes played by both Deysel and Botes lately.

Brynard Stander!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Draggs]

Bosman has been in fine form lately, I think CC is his best level. Regardless, nice to have some depth in midfield for once.

I thought you would be pleased to see Brynard in the 22

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I just wish we could switch Bosman, Viljoen, Jordaan and Ludik...

10. Bosman
12. Jordaan
13. Ludik
15. Viljoen

 

[Draggs]

I just wish we could switch Bosman, Viljoen, Jordaan and Ludik...

10. Bosman
12. Jordaan
13. Ludik
15. Viljoen

Keep Jordaan at outside centre. Ludik on the wing for Ndungane.
Reinach, Lambie/Bosman, Ludik, Whitehead (once fit), Jordaan, Sithole, Viljoen.

Whitehead and du Toit must be returning soon, didn't they say halfway through the season?

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Whitehead broke his hand against the Stormers in the semi's and will return in 2 weeks. PTSD has ligament issues and might be out longer.

 

[Sker]

This just in: Brussouw returning this weekend for Cheetahs, hopefully we'll see him back on form quickly.

 

[Draggs]

Whitehead broke his hand against the Stormers in the semi's and will return in 2 weeks. PTSD has ligament issues and might be out longer.

Rest them then. No need to put further strain on their injuries.
As controversial as Meyer is, I believe he did say PSdT would have been in line for a callup had Etzebeth been injured and du Toit fit.
Bresler, Marais x2, du Toit... Not a bad selection of second rows. Beats Hargreaves, Sykes, Skeate, and Mostert (I did like Gerhard, to be honest).

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Mostert has been our most solid center since Mark Andrews. I just wish he stayed for a longer period...

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

The Blue Brothers announced their teams:

Blue Bulls-

15. Clayton Blommetjies, 14. Akona Ndungane, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Francois Venter, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Louis Fouche, 9. Ruan Snyman, 8. Dewald Potgieter (C), 7. CJ Stander, 6. Warwick Tecklenburg, 5. Grant Hattingh, 4. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3. Werner Kruger, 2. Willie Wepener, 1. Dawie Steyn.

Replacements: 16. Bongi Mbonambi, 17. Frik Kirsten, 18. Cornell Hess, 19. Jean Cook, 20. Rudy Paige, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Jurgen Visser.


Western Province

15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. JP du Plessis, 12. Marcel Brache, 11. Damian De Allende, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom,8. Jebb Sinclair, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Deon Fourie (c), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Don Armand, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1. Deon Carstens.

Reserves: 16. Steven Kitshoff, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19. Helmut Lehmann, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Pat Howard, 22. Kurt Coleman.

 

[SomeOke]

The Blue Brothers announced their teams:

Blue Bulls-

15. Clayton Blommetjies, 14. Akona Ndungane, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Francois Venter, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Louis Fouche, 9. Ruan Snyman, 8. Dewald Potgieter (C), 7. CJ Stander, 6. Warwick Tecklenburg, 5. Grant Hattingh, 4. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 3. Werner Kruger, 2. Willie Wepener, 1. Dawie Steyn.

Replacements: 16. Bongi Mbonambi, 17. Frik Kirsten, 18. Cornell Hess, 19. Jean Cook, 20. Rudy Paige, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Jurgen Visser.


Western Province

15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. JP du Plessis, 12. Marcel Brache, 11. Damian De Allende, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom,8. Jebb Sinclair, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Deon Fourie (c), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Don Armand, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1. Deon Carstens.

Reserves: 16. Steven Kitshoff, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19. Helmut Lehmann, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Pat Howard, 22. Kurt Coleman.

It's amusing how after you remove the Springboks from WP we suddenly start looking like an exiting team.
Cheetahs will probably take it but I'm done predicting currie cup matches .

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Yes, and the only players who are missing are Bekker, Etzebeth and de Jongh

 

[SomeOke]

Yes, and the only players who are missing are Bekker, Etzebeth and de Jongh

With Peter G in Japan and JdV/Habana also with the boks it at least looks like a revamped back line.
That said it might just be because the Currie Cup defensive structures are woeful.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

You think so? The WP-Natal match was superb defensively. I think the young guns have no fear when playing Currie Cup rugby and matches are not dictated by endless tactics. Every year we see this. It's one of the reasons I enjoy the Currie Cup more than Super Rugby, apart from the history.

Guys like Basson, Sarel and Viljoen who were the polished diamonds in a sparkling Griquas team back in 2010. In that same year Patrick Lambie came through the ranks in Durban and we saw glimpses of the massive talent of Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute playing in Jo'burg.

Last year we had Marcell Coetzee, Ross Cronje, Wiehahn Herbst and Sibusiso Sithole in Durban, Johan Goosen, Coenie Oosthuizen and Robert Ebersohn in Bloem and Rynhardt Elstadt, Siya Kolisi and Duane Vermeulen in Cape Town. Every year you see guys stepping up when the big guns are off on Bok duty. It gives the Currie Cup a certain image of a development camp for teams but at the same time the innocent, playful way of rugby we see by the youngsters shows what we can accomplish in the long run. This year is no different. With Kolisi, Etzebeth, Coetzee, Vermeulen, Goosen, Lambie and de Jongh in the Bok squad a new batch of youngsters is knocking on the door.

 

[rhineshark]

I just hope my Sharkies pitch up for this game. We´ve managed to drop our Cheetahs bogey of late, but this Griekwas side keeps haunting us. Our boys just don´t like playing in Kimberley. I don´t know why, because it´s such a nice place with a nice big hole and all.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I love Kimberley's hole...

 

[Gena_ZA]

Hey, I was born there!
Recall that they have very little to do there so they taker their rugga pretty seriously, they are always ****** at the Cheetahs and Bulls for grabbing their talent but to be honest any young man wants to get away from that place.
They are a tough bunch, most of the playing fields are very hard and primary school chaps often plays on frozen pitches in winter (barefoot). Local supporters are fanatic and thus is any game there a bit through that the rest.

 

[rhineshark]

When Oom Bushie dies Griekwas will lose all their holey mojo. They better start looking for a replacement asap. Don´t know where they´re going to dig up another old ballie with such a hardon for a rugby team, unless they dig up Oom Bushie again after he has pegged. That Oom has serious passion. I think Tannie Bushie starts lathering up with the plaasbotter when she sees on the tv that Griekwas has won in anticipation of a hot and fired up Oom Bushie pulling in later when he gets home.

 

[Sker]

Lathering up with plaasbotter along with Kimberley's hole and pitch in one thread. How can this get any better?

 

[Draggs]

Eze, I feel you have a girlfriend anecdote for every Currie Cup team!