Absa Currie Cup Preview – Round 1
A mouth-watering clash between the Absa Currie Cup champions from 2010 and 2009, The Sharks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls, is the highlight of the first round when the oldest provincial rugby competition in the world kicks off on Friday.
Northern neighbours, the MTN Golden Lions and the Ford Pumas, will get the season under way when they clash at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Friday evening.
The last time these two sides met in the Absa Currie Cup, the Ford Pumas caused an upset by beating the MTN Lions in Johannesburg, but with a side featuring a number of experienced Vodacom Super Rugby players, the home team will not want to fall into the same trap again this weekend.
Four Springbok Sevens players will start in the Ford Pumas’ backline. Former MTN Golden Lions back Pieter Engelbrecht will wear the No 12 jersey, alongside MJ Mentz (fullback), JW Jonker (outside centre) and Shaun Venter (scrumhalf).
“We’re excited by our backline this year. In 2010 we didn’t have too much experience at the back, but this year it’s different. Our set phases have always been good and I’m excited to see how this backline goes,” said Jimmy Stonehouse, coach of the Ford Pumas.
“We’ve had a good break since the end of the Vodacom Cup and have worked hard at eradicating the mistakes which cost us last year. The MTN Golden Lions will come into the game with the momentum they gained from Vodacom Super Rugby, but we’ll be travelling to Johannesburg confident and positive that we can prove a point against our partners in the MTN Lions franchise.”
DHL Newlands in Cape Town is the setting for the match between DHL Western Province and GWK Griquas. The home side will be mindful that the team from Kimberley always start the Absa Currie Cup very well. Last year they won four out of their first six matches, including victories over the Sharks and the MTN Golden Lions.
GWK Griquas finished sixth in the Absa Currie Cup last year and will be looking at a top four finish this year. They only won two of their last eight matches and coach Abré Minnie knows greater consistency will be needed if his team is to progress to the semi-finals.
DHL WP, last year’s runners up in the Absa Currie Cup, will however be a tough nut to crack at home. Even though Province will be withou a host of their Vodacom Super Rugby stars, they will look to build on the solid performances by the DHL Stormers in the last few months.
The visitors will be without the injured Sarel Pretorius, star scrumhalf of the Toyota Cheetahs in the recent Vodacom Super Rugby series, while GWK Griquas will be lead by former Springbok Sevens star, Jonathan Mokuena, who is back in Kimberley after a stint playing in Johannesburg.
According to GWK Griquas assistant coach, Pote Human, the fact that DHL WP will be without a number of front line players, will not make the trip to Cape Town any easier.
“There is no such thing as a weak Western Province side and it’s always tough to play at Newlands. Myself and head coach Abré Minnie are also new in our roles here at Griquas, so it won’t be easy, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Human.
In Bloemfontein, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs host the Platinum Leopards, where the home team will be favourites to start against a side they hammered by 78-7 the last time they met.
Even though it’s a new season, the Absa Currie Cup winners from 2005 and 2007 (they also shared the trophy in 2006), will not take anything for granted from the team from North West that lost all their games last year. The Platinum Leopards appointed Leon Boshoff as coach late last season and he helped to keep the side in the Premier Division in the playoff matches against the SWD Eagles.
Naka Drotské, coach of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, said: “In the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division there will not be any easy games. We’d like to get a good start to the season and it’s always very important to win your home games, but we’re also backing our attacking structures and would like to chase a bonus point for scoring four tries. Any team can surprise, but we’ll be putting pressure on ourselves to do well.”
The Vodacom Blue Bulls face an uphill task in Durban where the defending Absa Currie Cup champions, The Sharks, await them. The team from Pretoria last won a game at this level at Mr Price Kings Park in 2006 (50-32) and will be looking to change that record.
Under new coach Pine Pienaar the Vodacom Blue Bulls will have an unknown factor up their sleeve, even though the team’s structures and way of playing are well known.
“We have a few new combinations and didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, like The Sharks, but we’ll be focused on our own game this weekend in what promises to be a tough encounter,” said Pienaar.
“It’s never easy in Durban – we last won an Absa Currie Cup game there five seasons ago – and The Sharks are the reigning champs, so it’s a difficult game to start the season with, but we have confidence in our structures.”
This weekend’s matches:
MTN Lions vs Ford Pumas
Date: Friday, 15 July
Kick-off: 19:10
Venue: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Stuart Berry
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 8 October 2010, Ford Pumas won 34-27 in Johannesburg
DHL Western Province vs GWK Griquas
Date: Saturday, 16 July
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 24 September 2010, DHL WP won 48-32 in Cape Town
Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Platinum Leopards
Date: Saturday, 16 July
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Referee: Jason Jaftha
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 8 October 2010, Toyota FS Cheetahs won 78-7 in Rustenburg
The Sharks vs Vodacom Blue Bulls
Date: Saturday, 16 July
Kick-off: 17:00
Venue: Mr Price Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 16 October 2010, The Sharks won 16-12 in Durban (Absa Currie Cup semi-final)
Absa Currie Cup First Division
The Absa Currie Cup First Division starts with a replay of last year’s final, when the EP Kings host the SWD Eagles in Port Elizabeth.
In 2010, the EP Kings beat SWD in the First Division Final in George (16-12) and even though both these sides fought hard in the playoff games against the Platinum Leopards and Ford Pumas, neither could win promotion to the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.
In the other games of the weekend, the Valke host the Tasol Solar Griffons at 15:00 on Saturday, after which the Border Bulldogs take on the Boland Cavaliers in Wellington at 16:00.
This weekend’s matches:
EP Kings vs SWD Eagles
Date: Friday, 15 July
Kick-off: 19:00
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Mark Lawrence
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 15 October 2010, EP Kings won 16-12 in George (Absa Currie Cup First Division Final)
Valke vs Tasol Solar Griffons
Date: Saturday, 16 July
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Referee: Tiaan Jonker
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 28 August 2010, Tasol Solar Griffons won 69-30 in Kempton Park
Boland Cavaliers vs Border Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, 16 July
Kick-off: 16:00
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Sindile Mayende
Last time these teams met in Absa Currie Cup: 24 September 2010, Boland won 54-13 in East London
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