Currie Cup semi-final scramble at boiling point
The scramble for semi-final places in the Currie Cup Premier Division – sponsored by Nashua and DirectAxis – will reach boiling point in the penultimate pool round this weekend, with the results set to be decisive in the teams’ top four aspirations.
All six sides taking to the field are still in the race for semi-final berths, and while victories will keep them in the running, defeats could deal the knock-out blow to the hopes of the teams at the foot of the log.
The Cell C Sharks, meanwhile, will enjoy their bye with peace of mind that they have already secured the top spot on the log table and an invaluable home semi-final.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Vodacom Blue Bulls will kick off the weekend’s action in Bloemfontein on Friday where the hosts will be determined to bounce back from their defeat last week to remain in the top three on the log and in the race for a possible home semi-final.
But they will go up against a Vodacom Blue Bulls team hurting from three back-to-back defeats and whose semi-final hopes will in all likelihood be dashed completely if they suffer another defeat.
The Cheetahs have won the last three match-ups between the sides in the competition, two of which were in Bloemfontein, but the visitors went down by one point against them in Pretoria earlier in the season, which they will want to make amends for. This includes last year’s final in the Free State capital.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs made five personnel changes to their team, which sees wingers Cecil Africa and JW Jonker earn starts. The match will be particularly significant for Jonker and fullback Clayton Blommetjies, as they will play their 100th and 50th Currie Cup matches respectively.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls, in turn, opted for continuity in selection and named an identical starting team to last week, with the only change on the bench being prop Matthys Basson replacing Dayan van der Westhuizen.
In Nelspruit, the clash between the Steval Pumas and Tafel Lager Griquas on Saturday is expected to be equally thrilling, as a victory for the hosts could see them possibly work their way into the playoff contention or stay within pouncing distance of a top-four spot, while the visitors will desperate to win as a defeat will deal the killer blow to their hopes.
The men from Kimberley won three of their last four fixtures, while the Steval Pumas emerged victorious in the outing between them in Kimberley in the first half of the competition.
Tafel Lager Griquas, however, come off a morale-boosting victory against defending champions, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, which they will want to build on, while they will also be fighting for survival, which could result in a nail-biting clash.
The Steval Pumas made only one change to their starting team with hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg replacing Frankie Herne, who has been included among the replacements, while the Tafel Lager Griquas made four personnel changes, which sees No 8 De Wet Kruger, lock Wandile Putuma, and wingers Enver Brandt and Ederies Arendse earn starts.
The match between the Xerox Golden Lions and DHL Western Province in Johannesburg on Sunday will also be gripping as both sides are currently in the top four, while the Capetonians will have the extra incentive of wanting to remain in second place on the standings for a possible home semi-final.
The hosts won three of their last four encounters, but the visitors registered a convincing 39-3 win against them in Cape Town in August. Adding to this DHL Western Province have scored an impressive 101 points in their last two matches, meaning they will enter the match with self-belief.
Xerox Golden Lions coach Swys de Bruin and his DHL Western Province counterpart John Dobson will announce their teams on Friday.
Currie Cup Premier Division Round 13 fixtures:
Friday, 6 October
Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Clayton Blommetjies, JW Jonker, Ali Mgijima, Lloyd Greeff, Vuyani Maqina, Robbie Petzer, Zee Mkhabela, Jasper Wiese, Nicolaas Immelman, Chris Dry (capt), Carl Wegner, Dennis Visser, Luan de Bruin, Reinach Venter, Johan Kotze. Replacements: Joseph Dweba, Gunther Janse van Vuuren, Andrew Kuhn, Jeremy Jordaan, Daniel Maartens, JP Smith, Stephan Janse van Rensburg.
Vodacom Blue Bulls – Warrick Gelant, Duncan Matthews, Burger Odendaal (capt), JT Jackson, Johnny Kotze, Marnitz Boshoff, Ivan van Zyl, Nic de Jager, Tim Agaba, Marco van Staden, Ruben van Heerden, Ashton Fortuin, Conraad van Vuuren, Edgar Mautlulle, Pierre Schoeman. Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar, Matthys Basson, Jano Venter, Boom Prinsloo, Piet van Zyl, Tony Jantjies, Ulrich Beyers.
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 18h15
TV: SS1
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant Referees: Ben Crouse & Darren Colby
TMO: Lourens van der Merwe
Saturday, 7 October
Steval Pumas v Tafel Lager Griquas
Steval Pumas – Justin van Staden, Jerome Pretorius, Gerrit Smit, Hennie Skorbinski (capt), Ruwellyn Isbel, Kobus Marais, Stefan Ungerer, Willie Engelbrecht, Thembelani Bholi, Brian Shabangu, Hugo Kloppers, Stefan Willemse, Pieter Scholtz, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Kwezi Mona. Replacements: Frankie Herne, De-Jay Terblanche, Cameron Lindsay, Hilton Lobberts, Francois Kleinhans, Theo Maree/Reynier van Rooyen, Selom Gavor.
Tafel Lager Griquas – AJ Coertzen (capt), Ederies Arendse, Tertius Kruger, Johnathan Francke, Kyle Steyn, George Whitehead, Christiaan Meyer, De Wet Kruger, Sias Koen, Wendal Wehr, FP Pelser, Wandile Putuma, Stephan Kotze, AJ Le Roux, Liam Hendricks. Replacements: Wilmar Arnoldi, Marius Fourie, Jonathan Adendorf, Sintu Manjezi, Shaun McDonald, Renier Botha, Andre Swarts.
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 14h00
TV: SS1
Referee: Quinton Immelman
Assistant Referees: Ricus van der Hoven & Des van Wyk
TMO: Willie Vos
Sunday, 8 October
Xerox Golden Lions v DHL Western Province
Xerox Golden Lions – TBA
DHL Western Province – TBA
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 14h30
TV: SS1
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant Referees: Stephan Geldenhuys & Paul Mente
TMO: Pro Legoete
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