Free State Cheetahs v Western Province, Vodacom Park, 10 Jul 10, 17:00 CAT

[Intercept King JDV]

The Free State Cheetahs play host to Western Province in Bloemfontein in the final game of the opening round.

Free State Cheetahs v Western Province

Date: Saturday, July 10
Venue: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 17:00 (15:00 GMT)

Free State Cheetahs: 15. Hennie Daniller, 14. Philip Snyman, 13. Robert Ebersohn, 12. Meyer Bosman, 11. Jongi Nokwe, 10. Louis Strydom, 9. Tewis de Bruyn, 8. Ashley Johnson, 7. Francois (FS) Uys, 6. Hendro Scholtz (Captain), 5. Waltie Vermeulen, 4. Izak van der Westhuizen, 3. Willem Petrus (WP) Nel, 2. Skipper Badenhorst, 1. Coenie Oosthuizen
Replacements: 16. Pieter-Willem Van Vuuren, 17. Kobus Calldo, 18. Juan Smith, 19. Kabamba Floors, 20. Tertius Carse, 21. Corné Uys, 22. Sias Ebersohn

Western Province: 15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Fabian Juries, 13. Tim Whitehead, 12. Paul Bosch, 11. Frikkie Welsh, 10. Willem de Waal, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Pieter Louw, 5. Anton van Zyl (Captain), 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Wicus Blaauw
Replacements: 16. Deon Fourie, 17. JD Moller, 18. JC Kritzinger, 19. Martin Muller, 20. Pieter Myburgh, 21. Conrad Hoffmann, 22. Lionel Cronje

Source

Another tough game to call in this year's opening round of the ABSA Currie Cup.Think I'll comment more on this game once WP release their match day 22.Should be a cracker of a game nevertheless.

 

[Seaton]

Im sure I read their team on SuperSport?

From what I remember this was it.

1. Wicus Blaauw (Can't speel!)
2. Tiaan Leibenberg
3. The regular first choice one, his name escapes me.
4. Anton Van Zyl (Captain)
5. Adriaan Fondse
6. Pieter Louw
7. Ryan Elgstradt (Have no clue hoow to spell)
8. Duane Vermaleun
9. Dewaldt Duvenange
10. Willem de Waal
11. Frikkie Welsh
12. Paul Bosch
13. Tim Whitehead
14. Fabian Juries
15. Conrad Jantjies

Prediction: Cheetahs win, just to many regulars for me, some players who really performed at the end of the S14, and Smith on the bench, he would come on as the WP subs come on, and I doubt they will be able to contain him.

Hoping for a good game

 

[Intercept King JDV]

Added the WP team.Interesting how the Cheetahs have two loose forwards on their bench in Juan Smith and Kabamba Floors and WP have 2 props on their bench in JD Moller and JC Kritzinger.
Seems that both teams are looking forward to a forwards dominating match...My heart says Province but my brain says Cheetahs, so my prediction is Cheetahs to win by no more than 10 points.

 

[Peter10Grant]

I think WP can pull it off, they lack experience in the backline, but I think that Conrad Jantjies will make a great comeback after his injury.

 

[Seaton]

I think WP can pull it off, they lack experience in the backline, but I think that Conrad Jantjies will make a great comeback after his injury.

Not that enexperienced really, Frikkie Welsh= Experienced, Jantjies= Experienced, de Waal= Experienced, Duvenange= Not as experienced as the others, but shows experience in his maturity, Whitehead= Not experienced but likelwise shows great experience, Juries= Experienced.
So really Paul Bosch is the only inexperienced player there.

Infact Im changing my prediction to WP win, counting in the backs doing their job

 

[Intercept King JDV]

Western Province shook off a slow start to run out convincing 25-11 (halftime 16-8) winners over the Free State Cheetahs in their opening Currie Cup match of the season played in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The victory was assured thanks to the unerring boot of flyhalf Willem de Waal, who almost singlehandedly carried his team by striking six penalties and a conversion for a personal haul of 20 points.

The visitors were otherwise as rusty as their hosts, and in this typical season-opener coach Allister Coetzee could be thankful that in De Waal he had a match-winner that could take such a scrappy match by the scruff of the neck.

Both sides scored a try apiece but De Waal easily won his kicking duel against opposite number Louis Strydom to give his side four valuable points on the road.

The Cheetahs opened the scoring in the 12th minute through a penalty by Strydom, who was playing in his 100th match.

De Waal equalised five minutes later with a monster 50-metre penalty before Cheetahs scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn scored the opening try of the match on the half hour.

It started in the home side's half with a speculative chip-and-chase by fullback Hennie Daniller, who regathered before popping to the scrumhalf.

At this stage WP had hardly been in the Free State 22, they had no possession to speak of, and they had made all the tackles.

But De Waal not only kept his team in the hunt but gave them an unlikely 9-8 lead after 37 minutes with two further penalties.

The visitors then struck a decisive blow on the stroke of halftime when lock Adriaan Fondse crashed over under the sticks for De Waal to convert, which gave WP an eight-point lead.

De Waal then extended the gap to 14 points within minutes of the restart with his fourth and fifth penalties.

WP's unchecked accumulation of 19 points was eventually halted when Strydom kicked a penalty on the hour to make it 22-11.

But the Cheetahs, in their haste to close the gap further, spurned two kickable penalties in favour of kicking for the corners, without reward, when Strydom's accurate boot might have drawn them closer.

WP however weathered the storm and finished the stronger of the sides, De Waal kicking his sixth penalty in the dying minutes to ensure a solid start for the Cape side in this year's competition.

"Willem is incredibly reliable and is our general at the back," said WP captain Anton van Zyl. "But I don't want to single out any individual. I thought every player did his bit today."

Scorers:

Free State 11 – Try: Tewis de Bruyn. Penalties: Louis Strydom (2).

WP 22 – Try: Adriaan Fondse. Conversion: Willem de Waal. Penalties: De Waal (6).

Source

Province you beauty!Great start to their Currie Cup with an away victory.Cheetahs really dominated possession in the 1st have but WP came back strongly in the second half.I thought WP's scrum was solid and really stood firm against the Cheetahs pack.
And then again the defence of WP was superb!Most impressive bit of defence was when the Cheetahs were camped near to their line for about 12 phases and at the end WP got the ball of them in a tackle.

 

[mohamed_ali12]

Up the Province! Officially my adopted team for this Currie Cup (and the last, mostly due to Luke Watson).

Also, just out of interest, what is the average crowd for most games in South Africa?

 

[Seaton]

Up the Province! Officially my adopted team for this Currie Cup (and the last, mostly due to Luke Watson).

Also, just out of interest, what is the average crowd for most games in South Africa?

Because you like Luke Watson, or hate him?

It really depends on the game. There are the 5 big provincial unions, who have big stadiums, and the 3 smaller ones, that are situated in small cities, and small stadiums that never reach capacity.
In terms of the Currie Cup, the big crowds only start once the Springboks return from the Tri-Nations, with the biggest crowds being the Bulls vs. Province and Sharks vs. Province.
The Lions and Cheetahs generally have poor attendances, don't really know why, but there are a load of english speaking Sharks glory-hunters in Jo'burg who go to Ellis Park when the Sharks play the Lions, and for example, double their average attendance :

 

[Intercept King JDV]

Newlands in Cape Town is packed most of the times for just about any match.

 

[LPsoldier ZA]

@ Intercept King JDV: Dude! I'm loving your signiture!