Absa Currie Cup Review – Round 1

Jul 17 • Currie Cup Results, National • 2980 Views • Comments Off on Absa Currie Cup Review – Round 1

Michelak in Photo by Gerhard Steenkamp

The Sharks started the defence of their Absa Currie Cup title in emphatic fashion against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban on Saturday, while GWK Griquas almost caused an upset in Cape Town.

Three teams got their season off to winning starts – the defending champions, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and the MTN Golden Lions, while DHL Western Province and GWK Griquas had to settle for a draw.

In the Absa Currie Cup First Division, Boland scored the biggest victory of the weekend over the Border Bulldogs, while the EP Kings and Valke also won their games this weekend.

MTN Golden Lions 31 Ford Pumas 27

The MTN Golden Lions had to dig deep to beat the Ford Pumas at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Friday evening. They won 31-27 after the visitors lead 17-16 at the break, and with 10 minutes to go the team from Mpumalanga was still ahead by 27-26.

Alwyn Hollenbach scored the match-winning try for the MTN Golden Lions in the 70^th minute, after which the home team hung on to their lead for a hard-fought victory.

The Ford Pumas looked impressive at times, especially when they spread the ball wide. Like the home team, they also scored three tries in the match.

Scorers:

MTN Golden Lions – Tries: Jacobie Adriaanse, Burton Francis, Alwyn Hollenbach. Conversions: Francis (2). Penalty goals: Francis (4).

Ford Pumas – Tries: Ashwin Scott, Pieter Engelbrecht, Marius Coetzer. Conversions: Ricardo Croy (3). Penalty goal: Croy. Drop goal: Croy

Teams:

MTN Golden Lions: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Dylan Des Fountain, 13 Alwyn Hollenbach, 12 Doppies La Grange (captain), 11 Lionel Mapoe, 10 Burton Francis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Joshua Strauss, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Pat Cilliers. Replacements: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Johan Snyman, 19 Dries van Schalkwyk, 20 Michael Bondesio, 21 Hein Cronje, 22 Michael Killian.

Ford Pumas: 15 MJ Mentz, 14 Deon Scholtz, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Pieter Engelbrecht, 11 Ashwin Scott, 10 Ricardo Croy, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Christo le Roux, 7 Jaco Bouwer, 6 Corne Steenkamp (captain), 5 Marius Coetzer, 4 Rudi Mathee, 3 Ashley Buys, 2 Marthinus van der Westhuizen, 1 Dawie Steyn. Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Brett Nel, 18 Willem Serfontein, 19 RW Kember, 20 Tian Meyer, 21 Tiaan Marx, 22 Carl Bezuidenhout.

DHL Western Province 26 GWK Griquas 26

Absa Currie Cup runners up from 2010, DHL Western Province, could only manage a 26-26 draw against GWK Griquas in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon. The scores were locked at 16-16 at the break, but the home team took the lead through a converted try by Johann Sadie and a penalty goal by Gary van Aswegen in the final 20 minutes.

GWK Griquas’ Monty Dumond broke Province hearts with his third penalty goal eight minutes from time to level the scores, which is how it finished. He contributed 16 of the visitors’ points with the boot, as did Province’s Gary van Aswegen.

Both teams scored two tries each, with Rocco Jansen crossing twice for the visitors. One of Jansen’s tries was from a turn over in his team’s 22 after which he sped down the touchline, kicked ahead, gathered and scored.

Scorers:

DHL Western Province – Tries: Siya Kolisi, Johann Sadie. Conversions: Gary van Aswegen (2). Penalty goals: Van Aswegen (4).

GWK Griquas – Tries: Rocco Jansen (2). Conversions: Monty Dumond (2). Penalty goals: Dumond (3). Drop goal: Dumond.

Teams:

DHL Western Province: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Danie Poolman, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Wimpie van der Walt, 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Hilton Lobberts, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie (captain), 1 Wicus Blaauw. Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 Adriaan Fondse, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Nick Groom, 21 Demetri Catrikilis, 22 Marcel Brache.

GWK Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Richard Lawson, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Monty Dumond, 9 Shannon Rick, 8 Jonathan Mokuena (captain), 7 Davon Raubenheimer, 6 Justin Downey, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Hendrik Roodt, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Ryno Barnes, 1 Steph Roberts. Replacements: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Jean Botha, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Jaco Nepgen, 20 Matthew Rosslee, 21 Earl Rose, 22 Fabien Juries.

Toyota Free State Cheetahs 40 Platinum Leopards 12

Also on Saturday, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, who last won the Absa Currie Cup in 2007, looked impressive in the first half as they beat the Platinum Leopards by 40-12 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The home team crossed for six tries – five of them before the break – as they finished the first round of action at the top of the log. The half-time score was 35-5 and the second stanza didn’t replicate the free scoring of the first half, with the Free Staters scoring their sixth and final try five minutes from full time after “try drought” of 40 minutes.

Scorers:

Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Tries: WP Nel, Andries Strauss, Rayno Benjamin, Corne Uys, Philip Burger, Philip Snyman. Conversions: Sias Ebersohn (2), Riaan Smit 3.

Platinum Leopards – Tries: Vainon Willis, BG Uys. Conversion: Clayton Durand.

Teams:

Toyota Free State Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Andries Strauss (captain), 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Pieter Labuschagné, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Michael van Vuuren, 1 Marcel van der Merwe. Replacements: 16 PW van Vuuren, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Pieter Myburgh, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Philip Snyman, 22 Philip Burger.

Platinum Leopards: 15 George Tossel, 14 Danie Dames, 13 Joubert Engelbrecht, 12 Charl Weideman, 11 Vainon Willis, 10 Clayton Durand, 9 Wesly Moolman, 8 Morne Hanekom, 7 MB Lusaseni, 6 Renaldo Bothma, 5 Ruan van Heerden, 4 Brendon Snyman, 3 Stefan Bezuidenhoud, 2 Gavin Williamson, 1 BG Uys. Replacements: 16 Stoffel Duvenhage, 17 Berend Botha, 18 Thabo Mamojela, 19 Christo van Niekerk, 20 Theo van Wyk, 21 Walter Venter, 22 Hoffman Maritz.

The Sharks 35 Vodacom Blue Bulls 16

At Mr Price Kings Park in Durban, The Sharks scored three first half tries in a match the 2009 Absa Currie Cup champs, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, wouldn’t remember for the right reasons. The home team laid their foundation upfront and disrupted the team from Pretoria in the set phases, especially at lineout time, winning comfortably by 35-16 after leading by 22-9 at the break.

Buoyed by this forward dominance, The Sharks’ loose forwards and backline had a field day, with captain Keegan Daniel and French international Frederic Michalak impressive.

The Sharks also defended very well, conceding only one try in a match where the Vodacom Blue Bulls’ attack was not at its best. When Daniel scored his team’s fourth try early in the second half, the game was over as a contest.

Scorers:

The Sharks – Tries: Frederic Michalak, Louis Ludik, Marcell Coetzee, Keegan Daniel. Conversions: Michalak (3); Penalty goals: Michalak (3).

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Try: Derick Kuün. Conversion: Francois Brummer. Penalty goals: Brummer (3).

Teams:

The Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Mark Richards, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Keegan Daniel (captain), 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Ross Skeate, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Dale Chadwick. Replacements: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Julian Redelinghuys, 18 Jan Andre Marais, 19 Francois Kleinhans, 20 Cobus Reinach, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 Sibusiso Sithole.

Vodacom Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Akona Ndungane, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corné Fourie. Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Okkie Kruger, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Log

Absa Currie Cup First Division

Boland impressed in the first round of the Absa Currie Cup First Division, running in nine tries as they beat the Border Bulldogs by 69-12 in Wellington on Saturday. The home team had the game in the bag by half-time when they lead 31-12 and played some impressive rugby throughout.

Thanks to this victory, the Cavaliers top the log after the first round this season, followed by the Valke and defending champions, EP Kings, who both recorded wins in their season openers.

The Kings were too good for SWD Eagles in a hard fought match in Port Elizabeth on Friday evening, where both teams could only score one try each, winning by 28-20 after leading by 16-11 at the break.

After 40 minutes in Kempton Park, the Valke lead 17-10, but even though the Tasol Solar Griffons scored two late tries, it wasn’t enough and the East Randers won 38-27 in a match that yielded 10 tries.

Scorers:

EP Kings 28 SWD Eagles 20

EP Kings – Try: Norman Nelson. Conversion: Louis Strydom. Penalty goals: Strydom (4), George Whitehead (3).

SWD Eagles – Try: Howard Noble. Penalty goals: Cecil Dumond (3), Elrick van Vuuren (2).

Valke 38 Tasol Solar Griffons 27

Valke – Tries: Martin Thomsen, Willem Odendaal, Zane Killian, Carlyle Hendricks, Jacques George, Sinovuyo Ganto. Conversions: Thomsen (4).

Griffons – Tries: Gavin Annandale, Eddie Fredericks, Willem Britz (2). Conversions: Jannie Myburgh, Tiaan van Wyk. Penalty goal: Myburgh.

Boland Cavaliers 69 Border Bulldogs 12

Boland – Tries: Bolla Conradie, Clemen Lewis, Danwel Demas, penalty try, Willie le Roux (2), Cornal Hendricks, Brandon April (2). Conversions: Elgar Watts (9). Penalty goals: Watts (2).

Border – Tries: Ntabeni Dukisa, Roy Bursey. Conversion: Dale Sabbagh.

Absa Currie Cup First Division Log:

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