The last time the Currie Cup was played in the six team format was way back in 1995, a year that sits well in the collective memory bank of Springbok rugby fans. And, with this in mind, I’m looking forward to watching three quality games every weekend till the end of October. No more Potch or Witbank derbies.
My wife (a Cheetahs fan) always says that the one thing she loves about the Currie Cup (and there are many) is that a South African team is guaranteed a win (with reference to Super 15). The Currie Cup has taken a back seat due to the long and ardous Super Rugby Comp but you can bet an Amstel quart that within the first few weeks of battle, we’ll relive the magic of one of SA sport’s favourite domestic Cup.
In 1995, WP, Natal, Blue Bulls, Lions, Free State and EP competed for South African rugby’s greatest prize. It took a masterclass performance from Frenchman Thierry Lacroix to defeat WP in the final at Kings Park. It was a French affair that rainy afternoon with Olivier Roumat playing lock for the Sharks. Flanker Laurant Cabannes and scrumhalf Fabien Galthie were playing for Province that season and it turned out to be the last time Tiaan Strauss donned the famous blue and white hooped jersey. With that wet World Cup semi-final still fresh in his mind, Lacroix was sublime and ensured that he left Kings Park with golden memories of sipping champagne from Currie Cup. I must say, the Sharks deserved to win that day.
Fast forward to now and the only team that aren’t in the top six are EP and we all know what bad stink they’ve made lately. Whoever finishes sixth will more than likely be playing off in a promotion/relegation fixture prior to the Currie Cup final, but knowing the admin of SA rugby, EP may just get promoted automatically. Anyway, I’m not here to slag off EP rugby, I wish them well, but only if matters are taken care of on level playing fields.
THE CONTENDERS
1. GOLDEN LIONS
The defending champions are looking dangerous. A poor showing in the Super 15 means that the Golden Lions will be hell-bent on showing that their status as Currie Cup holders wasn’t a fluke. The Lions squad are more or less the same side we saw doing battle in the Super 15. Joshua Strauss has stepped down as the captain but remains an integral part of the team dynamics and their talented loose trio. JC Janse van Rensburg will skipper the side under the tutelage of former Bok lock Johan Ackermann. Butch James will be in the pivot role till Elton returns from Bok duty. Without Elton, I believe the Lions will struggle but he’ll be back during the business end of the Currie Cup. If the Lions retain the same template that made them so hard to beat last year, then they will be a very hard coconut to crack. PREDICTION: 3rd place finish
2. NATAL SHARKS
Beaten finalists last year, the Sharks aren’t going to be easy to beat. Yet, their first fixture against WP at Newlands may just determine how their season pans out. The bulk of their squad are on Bok duty but they still have plenty of depth to play with. Sibusiso Sithole, Paul Jordaan, and the late Jaco Reinach’s son Cobus, are exciting prospects for the future. Throw in a few stalwarts like Odwa Ndungane, Meyer Bosman, Jacques Botes and Craig Burden, and you have a talented and well-balanced team. Jean Deysel will be wearing the captains armband with pride and there’s no doubting his loyalty to the Sharks cause. Kings Park will be a hard place for any visiting team, especially with Deysel leading from the front. PREDICTION: 4th place finish
3. FREE STATE CHEETAHS
The Grey Bloem conveyor belt keeps churning them out and this season it’s no different. The Free State Craven week side wasn’t the best vintage in recent times but coach Naka Drotske always has a cunning plan. Robert Ebersohn will captain the side and Riaan Smit is the Cheetahs pivot until golden boy Johan Goosen returns. It’s notable that once the Golden Goose got injured, the Cheetahs lacked punch in the latter stages of the Super 15. Heinrich Brussouw is still injured but Sevens star Boom Prinsloo will thrive on the amount of rugby he’ll be playing in the weeks to come, and together with Lappies Labuschagne, and former Griqua Davon Raubenheimer, the men from Bloem possess a competent loose trio capable of upsetting the top teams. The Cheetahs are usually thin on depth, yet they possess two highly-talented scrumhalves in Piet van Zyl and Sarel Pretorius. Expect these two to cause havoc in open play. Look out for Marcel van der Merwe. PREDICTION: 5th place finish
4. WESTERN PROVINCE
The ‘Streeptruie’ are fast becoming known as the bridemaids of SA rugby. Every year, WP fans expect their team to win the Currie Cup, and for eleven long years, the Currie Cup trophy cabinet in Boundary Road, Newlands, has remained bare. One things for sure, the fans will never turn their back on Province and tt’s just a matter of time before WP add another title to their impressive haul. Province have a young squad, but there’s still plenty of experience to draw from. Joe Pietersen, Gerhard van den Heever and Gio Aplon - together with the side-stepping JP du Plessis - should provide more impetus on attack. Lions reject, Burton Francis, has an opportunity to cement his place in the WP starting XV. Catrakillis is only third choice on Coetzee’s list, but he’ll show his worth once again. WP are still thin on loose forwards with Deon Fourie skippering the side as a flanker. Duane Vermeulen and Nick Koster will return soon. I’m sure the coaching staff can’t wait. Province will have to build on their solid showing in the Super 15 in order for them to deliver the goods that the fans have come to expect. PREDICTION: 1st place finish
5. BLUE BULLS
Dewald Potgieter is skipper of a Bulls team ravaged by Bok coach Heyneke Meyer. Thankfully for the Bulls and their fans, the chequebook has been out and about scouring for new talent. The Bulls have livewire SA under 20 centre, Jan Serfontein, on the bench and I’m sure he’s going to be a big hit this season. Jurgen Visser, Francois Venter and flyhalf, Louis Fouche, will be expected to step up and ensure the Bulls remain the formidable side we have come to know. They’ll need good ball though and with the likes of Deon Stegmann, Arno Botha – CJ Stander from the bench - and the experienced hooker Wille Wepener, that won’t be a problem. The Bulls had one of their worst seasons in the Currie Cup last year. Hard lessons were learnt and they won’t forget easily that they missed out on a semi-final. That makes them dangerous. PREDICTION: 2nd place finish
6. GRIQUAS
Former EP and Free State eighthman Pote Human will guide a Griquas outfit that knows a sixth place finish means a date with EP. They’ll do what they do best on their carpark of a rugby field. Any sniff of fear will galvanise the men from Kimberley when playing at home, but their shortcomings will be exposed when playing away. Cheetahs star in the Super 15, Willie le Roux, will cause havoc to any defence but he may feel isolated as Griquas are thin in backline depth. Former Bulls JP Nel and Stefen Watermeyer join Francois Brummer in the Griquas lineup this year and their experience will help the younger guns. Look out for Rocco Janse who loves to score tries, and if he combines well with Le Roux, then expect him to be in the top five of this year’s tryscorers. They’ll spring a surprise somewhere but they’ll be up against it. Underestimate Griquas at your own peril. PREDICTION: 6th place finish
Quite a good analysis. You place the Bulls too high. As a Bulls supporter I have been appalled at the dilution of the forwards, especially the tight-five. The management keep on signing back-line players while the scrum is a mess. Already there is mention of the light-five of the Bulls.
The players the Bulls miss most from last year are Gurthrö Steenkamp and then Bakkies Botha. Their current replacements are inferior. And then Dean Greyling makes the Springbok team. Now that man has a turbo reverse!
Thanx Chile_Dog!
The Bulls squad as it stands won’t be disrupted while the Boks play Rugby Champs and they’ll also gain a few Boks when the squad is trimmed. I’m sure Vermaak will be released along with one or two others.
Fouche is a good prospect and Serfontein will make an impact. It’s a good time for the Bulls but as you say, the Bulls tight-five does look a bit dodge. We’ll see on Friday night against Griquas.
You think Griquas will end 6th? I have a 10 year old KWV that I will gladly send to you if they do.
I agree, the backline is loaded with young players schooled with running rugby, but if the forwards don’t lay a platform, the likes of Pollard, Serfontein, Small-Smith, Venter, and Swanepoel, will become tackling machines
I am also inclined to think that Griquas are very lowly rated. They have always been a tough team at home, but they have bolstered their ranks significantly, and have some deadly finishers out wide, in le Roux, Jansen, and Boshoff, brutal centers in Watermeyer and JPNel, and a FH that can get them away. In addition they are well served in the scrums.
Griquas should be tough to beat this year but they have lost a number of good players since last year – Sarel Pretorius, Riaan Viljoen, George Earle, Devon Raubenheimer, Hendrik Roodt and Earl Rose
. Whether their new gains will make up for these losses remains to be seen.
I’m with you there Baylion. It is going to be tough though. If Griquas en 5th, who ends last then? I think there are a few surprises awaiting us this year.
WP: Weak pack of forwards, average halfback combo, dangerous backline. I think they’ll struggle to end in the top 3 – 4th
Bulls: A mix of old and new blood. Maybe not as strong up front as in the past and a weak halfback combo but an exciting backline. Anything’s possible – 3rd
Sharks: Very much and experimental side for the first match and they’ve lost too many people to really be a factor this year. Weak up front compared to their first choice but potentially dangerous at the back – 6th
Griquas: A fairly settled side. Strong up front with a strong backline rather than an exciting one – 5th
Cheetahs: Settled side playing with virtually their SR squad. Should be tough to beat but then, they tend to beat themselves. Between them and the Lions to top the log – 1st
Lions: The noises from the camp are positive and they have blooded a number of youngsters during the SR that should stand them in good stead. The SR 2013 decision on Aug 16 could have a major impact on their season, positive or negative. Still a fairly settled squad and should do well – 2nd
The Vodacom Cup should be a good indicator of the Currie Cup form. Ja, there will be some overlapping players with the SR franchises, but I’m thinking that any team that can win the competition at Vodacom Cup level can top the log at Currie Cup level. There is not such a big gap in the quality of players now that the Rugby Championship is held over the same period. I won’t be surprised if the Cheetahs win it though, as they are a settled side and with Goosen back they will be dangerous, not to mention Brussow now playing some Currie Cup again…player of the tournament perhaps.
Perhaps a WP/Cheetahs final?
I like when people write off my Sharkies. It’s a given maybe that they have so much absentees from their ranks, but I can assure you that they will do their utmost to secure a semi final spot. They already shown that they can win away from home, and I think that this team is a decent one.
Don’t forget that we tend to bring out one or two gems..like Marcell Coetzee last year and Pat lambie the year prior, the Sharks academy is bringing 17 out of 28 players to the fore this year. Watch out for Prinsloo, Jordaan, Reinach, Mthembu, Sithole, Zeilanga, Kleinhans and the Marias Brothers.
WP First??? Not a chance man. And Sharks 4th! after a super 15 final finish…The bok’s will be back soon enough and the guys left at the sharks boast a fair amount of experience. My prediction – Sharks 1st, WP 2nd, then cheetahs then bulls then lions then Griquas. At least we agree on one thing…Lions will have a tough year with coaching staff and captain dropping out.
Hi Peter, thanks for your comments.
Pollard is still in Matric so he falls under WP jurisdiction. If Province lose all their flyhalves like last year then I’m sure Pollard will be a hit in the CC.
True, but times have changed. The six team format means that Griquas can’t hide amongst the Pumas and Leopards.
So who will finish in 6th place then?
Griquas beating the big boys in Kimberley is not considered an upset anymore. But they still can’t win away from home.
When wiil the Sharks boks be back?. The RugbyChamps goes on for quite some time. they might get a run at the playoffs.