Absa Currie Cup Review – Week 13
Meyer Bosman off-loads in the tackle in photo by Gerhard Steenkamp
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs kept their chances of hosting an Absa Currie Cup semi-final alive after both sides secured thrilling victories this weekend.
The defending champions recorded a stunning 36-32 victory over Vodacom Western Province at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday while the Bloemfontein side notched up their ninth victory of the 2010 competition following their 43-37 win over the Xerox Lions at Vodacom Park.
The victories for the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs means that both sides ended week 13 in joint third position on the Premier Division log with 42 points. They are still two points behind Province who salvaged a bonus point for losing within seven points of the Pretoria side.
Vodacom WP can deny the Pretoria and Bloemfontein sides the chance of hosting a semi-final if they defeat the log-leading The Sharks at Newlands on Saturday. Springbok stars Gio Aplon and Juan de Jongh scored tries for Province while Willem de Waal kicked six penalties and two conversions. Their efforts though were not enough to tame the defending champions from securing their ninth victory of the season.
De Waal (183) stretched his lead at the top of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division leading points’ scorer’s table while the Vodacom Blue Bulls flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter (171) moved in to second place after kicking four penalties and three conversions.
Flanker Okkie Kruger, centre Stefan Watermeyer and Springbok fullback Zane Kirchner added tries for the Vodacom Blue Bulls while former SA fullback Jaco van der Westhuyzen kicked the game’s only drop goal.
In Bloemfontein the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs moved a step further to host an Absa Currie Cup semi-final after they achieved maximum points from their clash against the Xerox Lions (43-37).
The hosts scored six tries which were added by Absa Man of the Match Ashley Johnson (2), Hennie Daniller, Adriaan Strauss, WP Nel and Phillip Snyman. Louis Strydom kicked two penalties and two conversions while Meyer Bosman added one penalty.
The Xerox Lions achieved two bonus points – for scoring four tries, and for losing within seven points of the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs. The Johannesburg side’s five-pointers were added by Burton Francis, Joshua Strauss, Edgar Marutlulle and Michael Killian. Former SA Under-20 flyhalf Elton Jantjies kicked four conversions and three penalties for the Xerox Lions.
The Xerox Lions will now have to hope that the Platinum Leopards upset the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs or the GWK Griquas defeat the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Kimberley if the Johannesburg side are to mathematically still qualify for the semi-finals.
The Sharks will host the other Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semi-final after they outclassed the Platinum Leopards (63-6) at The Absa Stadium Durban on Friday evening.
Flanker Keegan Daniel, prop Jannie du Plessis and winger Odwa Ndungane each scored a brace of tries while fullback Louis Ludik, winger Lwazi Mvovo and prop Eugene van Staden were the other try-scorers for the hosts. Former Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius kicked six conversions while former SA Under-20 fullback Patrick Lambie converted three tries.
Clayton Durand kicked two penalties for the Platinum Leopards who are the only side in the Absa Currie Cup who has not recorded a victory in the 2010 competition.
GWK Griquas winger Bjorn Basson equalled the Absa Currie Cup try-scoring record (19) held by former Western Province wing Carel du Plessis and former Leopards wing Colin Lloyd.
The Springbok flyer was named the Absa Currie Cup Player of the Month for September on Thursday and continued his try-scoring run in the 2010 competition after he added two tries during his side’s 61-31 victory over the Barloworld Toyota Pumas.
The GWK Griquas achieved maximum points from this game but were eliminated from the Absa Currie Cup semi-finals race after the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Vodacom Free State secured victories this weekend.
The Kimberley side is currently in sixth position on the log with 36 points and is six points behind the fourth-placed Vodacom Blue Bulls.
While Basson added a brace, Barry Geel, Naas Olivier, Riaan Viljoen, Rocco Jansen, Ryno Barnes, Sarel Pretorius and Wesley Wilkins were the other try-scorers for the GWK Griquas. Olivier kicked seven conversions while Rudi Vogt converted one try.
The Barloworld Toyota Pumas who conceded 61 points still managed to secure a bonus point for scoring five tries. Corné Steenkamp (2), Elgar Watts, Hendrik van der Nest and Shaun Venter were the try-scorers for the hosts. Watts kicked two conversions while Ricardo Croy added one conversion.
Meanwhile Vodacom Western Province and The Sharks are currently on 46 points and are in joint second position on the Group A log after both sides secured victories in the Absa Currie Cup Under-21 Championship this weekend.
The Cape side captained by former SA Under-20 scrumhalf Louis Schreuder secured a thrilling 42-38 victory over the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. The Sharks outclassed the Platinum Leopards 57-27 in Durban on Friday evening.
Free State maintained their position in fourth place on the Group A log following their 53-25 victory over the Xerox Lions in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
In the Absa Currie Cup Under-19 Championship Vodacom Western Province moved in to pole position on the Group A log following their 29-8 victory over the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Sharks maintained their third position on the log following their 34-17 win over the Platinum Leopards while Free State secured their third victory of the competition in Bloemfontein on Saturday after defeating the Xerox Lions 28-27 at Vodacom Park.
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