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It's play-off time lads! In the past 10 weeks, we have seen all 6 teams play each other home and away. The strength-versus-strength format SARU wanted to implement by decreasing the number of teams has worked wonders. The defending champions Golden Lions only lost twice against one team, the Griquas from Kimberley. Griquas is seen as the minnow next to the big 5 but they still managed to beat the Lions twice, score 4 tries against the Bulls and were close to making the play-offs for the first time in 12 years. By ending 5th, Griquas is the only team who is done for 2012. They are out of contention for the championship and escape the promotion/relegation matches against the Eastern Province Kings. The remaining four teams will battle for the cherished Cup. Log-leaders Natal Sharks will host the Blue Bulls in a re-match of the 2010 semi-final while Western Province has to travel to Johannesburg to face the Golden Lions in a re-match of the 2011 semi-final between the teams.
The first semi-final will be played in Durban where the most consistent team in SA rugby, the Sharks will look to earn a spot in their 4th final in 5 years. The Blue Bulls will try to shrug off a painful and frustrating season that saw them 6th on the log for several weeks. Only when their Springbok players returned last week they showed some of the class we can expect from them. It will be a close encounter and if history teaches us anything, it's that these two teams bring out the best in each other.
The Sharks played Griquas last week and their Springboks did not have to add a lot to beat Griquas. Only Patrick Lambie and Marcell Coetzee jumped from Bok duty straight into the starting line-up. The half-back combination of Reinach and Lambie looks to be the real deal. Both players just looked comfortable together and if they can flourish the same way, the Blue Bulls team will be in for a difficult afternoon next week.
The Bulls team has added Morne Steyn and Juandre Kruger as the most important Boks to the team since last week and a 50-point win against the Golden Lions clinched the play-off spot for the Pretoria-team. Who will win is difficult to say but if history is anything to go by and this turns out to be a repeat of 2010, a final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban would be the result.
Mark Lawrence is the referee in this encounter. Lawrence has reffed the sharks 25 times in Currie cup in the last ten years, of which they won 17! 11 were at home(won 9) and 14 away(won 8). He has reffed the bulls 23 times in the same period, of which they won 15. Eight were at home(won 7) and 15 away(won 8).
Lawrence handling a sharks/bulls encounter, sharks won five, and bulls one, the only bulls win coming at durban in 2006. 2007,2008,2009 and this year in durban were won by the sharks, as was 2011 in pretoria.
In ten years of currie cup action, sharks have met bulls 21 times, winning 13, with 8 going the way of the bulls. Of these 21 games, 11 were played in durban, with the sharks prevailing 9 times. The 2 blots on the record books are the 2006 Lawrence game (32-50), as well as in 2004 (23-27).
The first semi-final will be played in Durban where the most consistent team in SA rugby, the Sharks will look to earn a spot in their 4th final in 5 years. The Blue Bulls will try to shrug off a painful and frustrating season that saw them 6th on the log for several weeks. Only when their Springbok players returned last week they showed some of the class we can expect from them. It will be a close encounter and if history teaches us anything, it's that these two teams bring out the best in each other.
The Sharks played Griquas last week and their Springboks did not have to add a lot to beat Griquas. Only Patrick Lambie and Marcell Coetzee jumped from Bok duty straight into the starting line-up. The half-back combination of Reinach and Lambie looks to be the real deal. Both players just looked comfortable together and if they can flourish the same way, the Blue Bulls team will be in for a difficult afternoon next week.
The Bulls team has added Morne Steyn and Juandre Kruger as the most important Boks to the team since last week and a 50-point win against the Golden Lions clinched the play-off spot for the Pretoria-team. Who will win is difficult to say but if history is anything to go by and this turns out to be a repeat of 2010, a final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban would be the result.
Mark Lawrence is the referee in this encounter. Lawrence has reffed the sharks 25 times in Currie cup in the last ten years, of which they won 17! 11 were at home(won 9) and 14 away(won 8). He has reffed the bulls 23 times in the same period, of which they won 15. Eight were at home(won 7) and 15 away(won 8).
Lawrence handling a sharks/bulls encounter, sharks won five, and bulls one, the only bulls win coming at durban in 2006. 2007,2008,2009 and this year in durban were won by the sharks, as was 2011 in pretoria.
In ten years of currie cup action, sharks have met bulls 21 times, winning 13, with 8 going the way of the bulls. Of these 21 games, 11 were played in durban, with the sharks prevailing 9 times. The 2 blots on the record books are the 2006 Lawrence game (32-50), as well as in 2004 (23-27).
