Double derby delight in South Africa – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 11 Preview
Johannesburg and Cape Town will be the focus points in South Africa on Saturday afternoon for two local Vodacom Super Rugby derbies which could have a massive influence on the final standings in less than two months’ time.
The claws will be out at Emirates Airline Park when two former partners, the Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs, clash for the 12th time since the demise of the Cats franchise after the 2005 season.
The home team is on a four-match win-streak and a win on Saturday will be their best-ever run of results as a franchise and to achieve that, the Emirates Lions will have to record their seventh win over the Toyota Cheetahs.
All eyes will then move to Cape Town for the second North/South derby of 2015, between the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls – currently the two pace-setters in the South African Conference.
It will in all likelihood be a typically tough local derby yet again – the last time any of these two teams scored a try-scoring bonus point against the other, was almost five years ago, in 2010.
The Cell C Sharks have a bye and will leave on their Australasian tour this weekend.
Emirates Lions v Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Saturday, 25 April
SA Time: 17h05
Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Jaco van Heerden (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Ben Crouse (South Africa)
Television match official: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
Team news:
- The Emirates Lions starting team shows three changes – at wing, Courtnall Skosan comes in for Mark Richards, while Armand van der Merwe (hooker) and Ruan Dreyer (tighthead prop) have been rotated with Robbie Coetzee and Julian Redelinghuys.
- On the bench, Redelinghuys and Coetzee are joined by MB Lusaseni (in for the injured Derick Minnie) and Ross Cronje, who takes over from Lohan Jacobs.
- The Toyota Cheetahs’ starting line-up shows five changes of which one is positional – at the back, Joe Pietersen moves from flyhalf to fullback with Coenie van Wyk and Willie le Roux injured, while Willie du Plessis takes over at 10
- Upfront, Tienie Burger replaces the injured Heinrich Brüssow, while there are two new props in Maks van Dyk (in for the injured Coenie Oosthuizen)and Danie Mienie (who takes over from BG Uys).
- On the bench, Caylib Oosthuizen and Ewald van der Westhuizen are the new props, Carel Greeff provides loose forward cover and Clayton Blommetjies is in to cover wing and fullback.
Stats:
- The Emirates Lions won both their derbies against the Toyota Cheetahs last year, meaning the men from Central South Africa last beat their neighbours from Jozi three years ago when they clashed in Welkom (26-5).
- The Emirates Lions need one more win for their best-ever run of consecutive victories of five – they won four on the trot in 2007.
- The last time the former colleagues in the Cats franchise met, saw the Emirates Lions record their biggest-ever win in Vodacom Super Rugby (60-25).
- And on the flip-side, the Toyota Cheetahs’ 59-10 victory over the Emirates Lions way back in May 2010 was their biggest ever in this competition.
Quotes:
Emirates Lions head coach Johan Ackermann: “I hope we’ve made other teams sit up and notice us and hopefully the results show that we can compete. Respect is earned.
“The set phases will be a challenge for us. We know their line-outs are strong and we’ll have to try counter that, but the Cheetahs are a bit of an unknown factor [with all their injuries] and they will be very dangerous as they’ve not yet given up.
Emirates Lions captain Warren Whiteley: “We haven’t even thought of it [the winning streak]. We just want to keep performing and we know very well there are areas to improve.”
Toyota Cheetahs head coach Naka Drotské: “The injuries are a huge set-back. There is nothing you can do about it and it wouldn’t help to sit and brood about it. At the same time it creates opportunities for younger players to prove themselves worthy.
“We still believe that we can beat the Lions and we’re not going to lie down. The Lions play really good rugby and have become a well-established group over the last couple of years.”
The teams are:
Emirates Lions: Andries Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Courtnal Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley (captain), Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Andries Ferreira, Ruan Dreyer, Armand van der Merwe, Jacques van Rooyen.Replacements: Robbie Coetzee, Corne Fourie, Julian Redelinghuys, MB Lusaseni, Robert Kruger, Ross Cronje, Marnitz Boshoff, Howard Mnisi.
Toyota Cheetahs: Joe Pietersen, Cornal Hendricks, Johann Sadie, Francois Venter, Ryno Benjamin, Willie du Plessis, Sarel Pretorius, Willie Britz, Boom Prinsloo, Tienie Burger, Francois Uys (captain), Carl Wegner, Maks van Dyk, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Danie Mienie. Replacements: Stephan Coetzee, Caylib Oosthuizen, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Steven Sykes, Carel Greeff, Tian Meyer, Michael van der Spuy, Clayton Blommetjies.
Emirates Lions v Toyota Cheetahs (since 2006):
Played 11; Emirates Lions 6; Toyota Cheetahs won 5
Emirates Lions points scored: 257
Toyota Cheetahs points scored: 322
Emirates Lions tries scored: 24
Toyota Cheetahs tries scored: 32
Average score: 29-23 to the Toyota Cheetahs
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 25 April
SA Time: 19h10
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jason Jaftha (South Africa), Francois Pretorius (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Team news:
- Regular captain Duane Vermeulen is back to lead the DHL Stormers after resting for the last fortnight. He takes over at No 8 from Nizaam Carr, who drops to the bench in place of Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
- Two of the other three changes are injury enforced, with Johnny Kotze and Pat Howard (on Vodacom Super Rugby debut) replacing the injured wing duo of Kobus van Wyk and Dillyn Leyds respectively.
- The final change to the team is at scrumhalf, where Nic Groom is in for Louis Schreuder, who will join Carr and prop Oli Kebble (in for Ali Vermaak) on the bench.
- Jan Serfontein is back at inside centre in one of two changes to the Vodacom Bulls’ backline – the other is at scrumhalf, where Piet van Zyl replaces the injured Rudy Paige.
- The only other change to the Vodacom Bulls’ match-23 is on the bench, where Akona Ndungane comes in for Van Zyl. The rest of the squad that beat the Cell C Sharks last weekend is unchanged.
Stats:
- The Vodacom Bulls have not won in Cape Town since June 11, 2011 when they beat the DHL Stormers by 19-16. It’s one of only three wins for the team from Pretoria at DHL Newlands, while they have lost seven with one draw.
- The last five meetings between these traditional rivals have been by eight or more points, with the DHL Stormers winning three and the Vodacom Bulls two.
- A losing bonus point has not been scored in any of the last five meetings between these South African rivals.
- The last time one of these teams scored a try-scoring bonus point against the other, was on May 15, 2010 when the DHL Stormers beat the Vodacom Bulls by 38-10 in Cape Town, scoring four tries in the process.
- The DHL Stormers have scored four or more tries on only three occasions against the Vodacom Bulls (1998, 2001 and 2010). On the contrary, the men from Pretoria have done it four times (2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007).
- The last time the DHL Stormers hosted the Vodacom Bulls, the Capetonians won 16-0, which is the lowest scoring game either side has been involved in.
- That was the third time the DHL Stormers had reduced a side to zero points and the fourth time the Vodacom Bulls had failed to score a single point in Vodacom Super Rugby.
Quotes:
DHL Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee: “It doesn’t get much bigger than a North-South Derby at DHL Newlands, does it? The Bulls are the SA Conference leaders, they have six Springboks in their pack and six in their backline with three more on the bench. It’s a powerful team and a team that has won six out of their last seven games – we’re expecting a Test-match like battle on Saturday.
“We know we weren’t at our best last weekend, but we have had to train smartly in this short week to make the necessary improvements and adjustments in our game against this strong Bulls team.”
Vodacom Bulls head coach Frans Ludeke: “It does not come bigger than facing the Stormers in Cape Town. As our luck would have it, they have won their last two matches on tour in Australia and is playing at home for the first time in five weeks, so will be up for it. If we want to be a champion side, we will need to respond to this in a champion’s way.”
Vodacom Bulls captain Pierre Spies: “They outplayed us in the opening round, mainly because our set-piece was not as good. We have worked pretty hard since then and I honestly think our pack can now be measured against the best ones out there, especially since we have the likes of Flip van der Merwe and Arno Botha back to full fitness. We will have to be up for it and judging from training this week, we will.”
The teams are:
DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Johnny Kotze, Juan de Jongh, Damian de Allende, Pat Howard, Demetri Catrakilis, Nic Groom, Duane Vermeulen (captain), Schalk Burger, Siya Kolisi, Ruan Botha, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Oli Kebble, Vincent Koch, Jean Kleyn, Nizaam Carr, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones.
Vodacom Bulls: Jesse Kriel, Francois Hougaard, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Bjorn Basson, Handré Pollard, Piet van Zyl, Pierre Spies (captain), Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh, Flip van der Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe, Adriaan Strauss, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Morné Mellett, Trevor Nyakane, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Akona Ndungane, Tian Schoeman, Jurgen Visser.
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls (since 1998):
Played 23; DHL Stormers won 13; Vodacom Bulls won 9; one draw
DHL Stormers points scored: 505
Vodacom Bulls points scored: 519
DHL Stormers tries scored: 46
Vodacom Bulls tries scored: 48
Average score: 23-22 to the Vodacom Bulls
Other fixtures (SA kick-off times):
Friday, 24 April:
09h35: Chiefs v Force – Hamilton
11h55: Brumbies v Highlanders – Canberra
Saturday, 25 March:
09h35: Crusaders v Blues – Christchurch
11h55: Waratahs v Rebels – Sydney
Sunday, 26 March:
08h05: Reds v Hurricanes – Brisbane
Bye: Cell C Sharks
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