Mametsa tops Tiger

Mametsa tops Tiger

8 Oct 2008

Frans Ludeke has opted for the attacking brilliance of John Mametsa over Tiger Mangweni for Saturday’s semi-final in Pretoria.

Ludeke has predictably reinstated his Springboks after resting his stars when the Blue Bulls clashed with the Valke last week. Danie Rossouw returns from injury to partner Victor Matfield in the second row, while Bryan Habana, Wynand Olivier, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Wikus van Heerden and Gurthro Steenkamp are all back in the starting line-up. Pivot Morne Steyn also displaces Burton Francis.

The injury to Bok winger Akona Ndungane sees Mametsa starting at No 14, with Mangweni on the bench. Dewald Potgieter’s inclusion in the reserves sees Pedrie Wannenburg left out of the Bulls 22.

Blue Bulls – 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 John Mametsa, 13 Marius Delport, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Juandré Kruger, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Tiger Mangweni.


31 Comments

  • 1.Boelie: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:33 am

    Makes sense. You can’t have a Tiger in a Cheetahs game

  • 2.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:33 am

    Dragonsssssssssssssssssssssss!

  • 3.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:33 am

    O vet!

  • 4.Boelie: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:34 am

    #3 Staal: Close, but no cigar

  • 5.King Shark: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:35 am

    You can’t go wrong with Tiger or John. You can however only go wrong with Zane.

  • 6.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:40 am

    #4 Boelie: :lol: ek slaap laat vandag!

  • 7.Boelie: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:45 am

    #6 Staal: ‘n paar minder s’e en jy was daar

  • 8.Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 07:50 am

    Nice team, but why can’t P3 not make the bench?

  • 9.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:00 am

    More manne!

    #5 King Shark: Have to agree… I’m not a big Zane fan.

  • 10.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:06 am

    Here are the appearances of the four teams in the 2008 semifinals:

    Sharks (a.k.a. Natal): 14 semifinals – won 5
    Blue Bulls (a.k.a. Northern Transvaal): 14 semifinals, won 12
    Cheetahs (a.k.a. Orange Free State): 13 semifinals – won 7
    Lions (a.k.a. Transvaal): 12 semifinals – won 7

  • 11.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:07 am

    I luv Cut & Paste…. hehehe :)

  • 12.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:08 am

    Wow… didn’t know that Zimbabwe played in the currie cup….

    1973:
    Northern Transvaal vs Rhodesia, 20-7
    Orange Free State vs Western Province, 19-15

  • 13.Boelie: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:18 am

    #12 Blou Baard Pastei: I didn’t know Western Province played in the Currie Cup
    1973:
    Northern Transvaal vs Rhodesia, 20-7
    Orange Free State vs Western Province, 19-15

  • 14.Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:25 am

    #13 Boelie:

    Did they actually make the semis in 1973…………

  • 15.Pietman: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:31 am

    #12 Blou Baard Pastei:
    Tyey did, and they were good!
    Drew with N.Tvl in the CC semi’s in the 80′s, 19-19.
    Harry Viljoen was NTvl scrummie that day and Rhodesia had players like Ian Roberson, David Smith and Ray Mordt (all Springboks), and a wing called Billy Lemon Jnr Springbok, selous scout, got killed in the bushwar).

  • 16.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:40 am

    #13 Boelie:
    #14 Ek sê my sê, ek sê:

    LMGA!!

  • 17.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:41 am

    #15 Pietman: O,toe’t ek nog in doeke rond gehardloop…. lol

  • 18.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:42 am

    Going by those stats, it seems that the Bulls have actually won more Currie Cup finals than semifinals! I guess semifinals didn’t always exist, with the top two teams simply going through to the final in earlier years.

    Either way, that’s a record of excellence.

  • 19.St.Petersburgbok: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:49 am

    a couple strange selections in my opinion.

    Kirchener……he has yet to justify the hype. Tiger has been undeniably better.
    Akona is a loss.
    Juandre Kruger over Willem Steenkamp?
    Chilli gets onto the bench? Maku is kak….but not as kak as Chilli.
    Ryno Gerber to start? Will he scrum this weekend?

    Nope…..currently to many questions over our tight 5 and their cover on the bench.

    I’d be a hell of a lot more confident if Heyneke Meyer was in charge for this game.

  • 20.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 08:52 am

    If you have a chance, go to the Bulls website and read through yesterday’s player chat with Victor Matfield. Very interesting stuff, straight from the horses mouth. He must have been bombarded with about 40 questions or so and he answered all of them.

    Going by his answers, the Bulls have the right attitude going into this game, not even thinking about any possible final yet.

  • 21.Andre_WP: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 09:14 am

    Eish , goeie span , dieselfde span vir die S14 volgende jaar. Bulls kan dit maak , gaan miskien nie maklik wees nie maar ek glo hulle sal hom vat. Maar enige iets kan gebeur in ‘n semi. Maar sien uit na ‘n goeie game.

  • 22.greatest13gerber: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 10:00 am

    brilliance of John Mametsa ?

    :D

    this boy is average

  • 23.Kalahari Kid: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 10:05 am

    Kirchner is the weakest link!! Gelukkig is Tiger darem op die bench

  • 24.Mark Voloshin: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 10:58 am

    John Mametsa? The so-slow-he-leaves-a-trail-of-slime-behind-him John Mametsa? Mmm, dodgy call there by Frans Ludeke.

  • 25.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 11:45 am

    Weak front row and no fullback. Easy game for the Cheetahs. :lol: [I hope]

  • 26.Cape Shark: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 12:03 pm

    Tiger looks like he is treading water when he runs. :)

  • 27.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 14:59 pm

    Siyabonga “Tiger” Mangweni has been near faultless this yr

    Only one mistake has tainted his season…dropping the ball with tryline beckoning vs Sharks at Absa KingsPark

    Otherwise he has been solid as a rock on defence as well as efficient on attack.

    Harsh call IMO.

  • 28.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 15:31 pm

    #27 mshiniwami: Yeah… that was a pity… We would’ve topped the log…. But I would prefer Mangweni over zane anyday

  • 29.Blou Baard Pastei: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 15:32 pm

    #25 Loosehead: Lol, you wish… ;)

  • 30.Cheetha Champs: Reply to this comment
    8 Oct 2008, 15:53 pm

    Mametsa always reminds me of Cabous vd Westhuizen. Never the quickest wing around, but give him the ball with one man to beat, and you can just as well write 5 points on the score board.

    I think Tiger is very unlucky though. I would have played Tiger at 15 and Mams at 14.

  • 31.james bond: Reply to this comment
    9 Oct 2008, 09:38 am

    #12 Blou Baard Pastei: Ja en Suidwes het in 1987 teen Transvaal gespeel in die semi-finaal. Tvl het net-net gewen 12-9 !!!
    Kenners reken hulle het Tvl sag gemaak vir Noord-Transvaal in die finaal.

    Miskien glo Ludeke ook aan bioritmes. Tiger is stadiger as Zane, maar ons nuwe Fatal Attraction gee my spuitpoep. Tiger en Mametsa vul mekaar om een of ander rede goed aan (beide ewe stadig). Zane het in 2007 ‘n mooi drie gedruk vir Griekwas teen Bulle en dis ook al. Hy het nog nie die speartackles heeltemal afgeleer nie.

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

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