The Sharks and WP to host Absa Currie Cup Semi-finals
The Sharks will host the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban while Vodacom Western Province will take on the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs at Newlands after the semi-finalists for the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division were confirmed this weekend.
The Cape side booked their home playoff game on Saturday following their stunning 33-21 victory over the log-leaders at Newlands. Both sides scored three tries, but it was the ever reliable place-kicking of Willem de Waal that ultimately proved to be the difference of the two sides on the scoreboard.
De Waal who added 16 points with the boot after kicking four penalties and two conversions on Saturday became the second leading points’ scorer (1412) in the history of the Absa Currie Cup. He broke the record of former Northern Free State and Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Eric Herbert’s tally of 1402 points. Former Northern Transvaal pivot Naas Botha (1699) is the leading points’ scorer in the history of the Absa Currie Cup.
Vodacom WP fullback Gio Aplon, No 8 Duane Vermeulen and centre Jean de Villiers scored tries for the hosts while reserve flyhalf Lionel Cronje added one conversion. The Sharks No 8 Ryan Kankowski, reserve fullback Louis Ludik and substitute centre Adrian Jacobs were the try-scorers for the visitors.
The Sharks fullback Patrick Lambie, who is currently the fourth leading point’ scorers in the 2010 competition with 169 points, kicked three conversions. De Waal (199) is the leading points’ scorer this season.
The log-leaders will host the Vodacom Blue Bulls who defeated the GWK Griquas (48-36) next Saturday at The Absa Stadium Durban in the first of two Absa Currie Cup semi-finals at 14h30.
GWK Griquas winger Bjorn Basson re-wrote the Absa Currie Cup history books on Saturday after scoring two tries at GWK Park to break the try-scoring record (19) of former Western Province wing Carel du Plessis and former Leopards wing Colin Lloyd. Basson is the leading try-scorer this season with 21 tries.
However, his solo efforts were not enough to stop the defending champions from securing their ninth victory of the 2010 competition. The Vodacom Blue Bulls ran in seven tries which were scored by Dewald Potgieter, Wynand Olivier, Jaco Pretorius, Gerhard van den Heever, Derick Kuün, Jaco van der Westhuyzen and Victor Matfield.
Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn added four conversions and a penalty while reserve flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicked one conversion.
The hosts achieved a bonus point for scoring five tries. While Basson added a brace, Sarel Pretorius, Jean Stemmet and Barry Geel added the other five-pointers for the GWK Griquas. Naas Olivier and Rudi Vogt each added two conversions while Riaan Viljoen kicked one penalty.
Vodacom Western Province will host the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs who comprehensively defeated the Platinum Leopards 78-7 in Phokeng on Friday evening in the second of the two Absa Currie Cup semi-finals next Saturday. The Bloemfontein side ran in 12 tries as they ended the league phase of the 2010 competition in third place.
Hennie Daniller, Philip Snyman and Corné Uys each scored a brace while Meyer Bosman, Tertius Carse, Ashley Johnson, Coenie Oosthuizen, Hendro Scholtz and Adriaan Strauss were the other try-scores for the visitors. Vodacom Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Louis Strydom who is currently the fifth leading points’ scorer this season with 146 points kicked six conversions and former SA Under-20 utility back Sias Ebersohn added three conversions.
In one of the upset results of the season, the Barloworld Toyota Pumas recorded their third victory of the 2010 competition when they defeated the Xerox Lions 34-27 at Coca-Cola Park on Friday evening.
The Witbank side also achieved maximum points from their final game of the league season after they ran in five tries which were scored by Corne Steenkamp (2), Shaun Venter, Hendrik van der Nest and Johan Jackson. Barloworld Toyota Pumas flyhalf Elgar Watts kicked one penalty and three conversions.
The Xerox Lions who ended the season in fifth position on the Absa Currie Cup log with 39 points, scored four tries which were added by Derick Minnie, Deon van Rensburg, Waylon Murray and Warren Whiteley. Former SA Under-20 pivot Elton Jantjies kicked two conversions and one penalty.
In the Absa Under-21 Championship Vodacom Western Province will host the Free State Cheetahs in one of the semi-finals to be played next weekend. In the other semi-final the Vodacom Blue Bulls will host The Sharks in Pretoria.
The Vodacom WP U21s ended the competition in first position on the log after outclassing The Sharks 36-9 at Newlands on Saturday. The Free State Cheetahs who conceded a 62-20 defeat against the Platinum Leopards on Friday night, ended the league phase in fourth position on the log. The Vodacom Blue Bulls U21s finished the league season in second position while The Sharks ended up in third.
In the Absa Under-19 Championship, Vodacom Western Province will host the Platinum Leopards in one of the semi-finals to be played next weekend. In the other semi-final the Vodacom Blue Bulls will host The Sharks in Pretoria. The Vodacom WP U19s ended the competition in first position on the log despite going down to The Sharks 36-32 at Newlands on Saturday.
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