Super Sharks will win Currie Cup
22 Oct 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in Business Day newspaper, applauds the talents of Eben Etzebeth and Pat Lambie and writes the Sharks are the best domestic team in South Africa.
Eben Etzebeth made his Western Province Currie Cup debut a fortnight ago and is eligible to play in Saturday’s U21 final. He’s still a pup in terms of provincial experience and age but he’s definitely no pup in terms of performance.
He was colossal against the Lions in Western Province’s dramatic last minute Currie Cup semi-final victory. He commands presence, which explains the remarkable elevation from Varsity Cup player in 2011 to an eight-Test Springbok in 2012. A unique breed of player simply has it. Etzebeth is the newest international member of this club, and if he stays injury free he could become the most dominant of second rowers in the next decade.
He thrives on responsibility, especially when the crunch moments demand the tough to take the lead. We saw it in Super Rugby, most notably in the final 20 minutes when the Stormers repelled a Lions fightback in Johannesburg to win. Etzebeth towered above the rest that night and at the same venue, against the provincial Lions he effected a result of similar significance for Western Province players, who earlier in the year had played in the guise of the Stormers.
Etzebeth is among the 10 nominations for South Africa’s Player of the Year and while my preference is the revitalised and rejuvenated Western Province, Stormers and Springbok wing Bryan Habana, a more appropriate reward for Etzebeth would be the Rookie of the Year.
He plays with the authority of an old head, but the emotional maturity should not disguise his youthfulness. He is also an enforcer who lacks the crassness of a thug. He can impose his physicality without resorting to cheap shots, which is refreshing. There is more Brad Thorn to his persona than Bakkies Botha because he has the calmness a young Botha’s personality did not accommodate. Botha had mongrel but Etzebeth’s aggression is measured. The old dog can certainly teach Etzebeth a trick or two, which is why I’d select both for the end-of- year tour, but the emotional maturity and seemingly contentment of Etzebeth is unique among young international second rowers.
Etzebeth’s influence was massive in the lineout take and subsequent 20m maul that crushed the Lions in the last play of the game. Lions’ supporters would rightly have cursed his presence on Saturday night, but as South Africans they will have many a Saturday in which they’ll celebrate the fact he’s a South African who plays for the Springboks.
Another youngster who plays with the maturity of a veteran is Pat Lambie. National coach Heyneke Meyer has been reluctant on Lambie. Why? Who knows?
Lambie has shown his class as a person through a winter of frustration at national level. Picked as a bench warmer and only viewed as a fullback option he never spoke out against the coach and never threatened of a move to French or English club rugby. He spoke only when given a chance to start at flyhalf for the Sharks and his speaking came by way of performance. He was more commander than cavalier against the Bulls in the Sharks 20-3 semi-final victory.
He looked more Dan Carter than Quade Cooper in controlling the semi-final, which is a compliment of his class.
Lambie, two seasons ago, was brilliant in the Sharks’ Currie Cup final win against Western Province, but his versatility has been to his detriment. He can play 10, 12, 13 and 15 and he wouldn’t be out of place on the wing, but because of this quality he has become a jack of all trades when he has the potential to become the master of one.
Lambie really has been impressive at flyhalf in the most understated, yet effective manner. The hope is Meyer can review his earlier opinion that Lambie is a 15 and not a 10, and not fear misguided accusations that a change of opinion is because of a state of confusion.
Lambie, on the pending Bok tour, must get some game time at 10. Expect a big game from him in Durban on Saturday against Western Province. He’ll deliver because whenever he has been given an opportunity (not a 10-minute cameo role) the return has been a quality performance.
The Sharks were imposing and brutal against the Bulls and coach John Plumtree’s match 22 selection showed an understanding that play-off matches are determined more by the quality of the seven substitutes than the perceived pedigree of the starting XV.
The Sharks have been South Africa’s most consistent performer in Super Rugby and Currie Cup, with or without their current Springboks. They play the best rugby and they are South Africa’s best team. They will win the title on Saturday.
458 Comments
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22 Oct 2012, 11:13 am
Heavens game,the richer picture surely is that the majority voted for the Sharks win.safe bet (as betting goes)
22 Oct 2012, 11:14 am
Pedigree realy hates the Sharks. I enjoy reading the tentrums you throw. None are based on any rubgy facts. Sounds more like a bitter ex then anything else.
22 Oct 2012, 11:19 am
@skunk-52: I tolerate them. Their fans on the other hand
But it’s typical behaviour of those who could call the nouveau riche of SA rugby.
Laters Guppies. Long week ahead.
22 Oct 2012, 11:21 am
Whats the biggest win margin in a Currie Cup final? I think we may see it being tested this weekend, the gulf in class is huge.
22 Oct 2012, 11:23 am
@Gaz-54:
wasn’t it the bulls against the sharks 2003
40-9
something like that
22 Oct 2012, 11:26 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-53:
You seem a descent blogger most of the time, unless it comes to the Sharks.
Leave the hate, it consumes you, and i think you are better than that.
22 Oct 2012, 11:28 am
The WP laaities are going to klap the Shark toppies on Saturday.
WP by 10…at least.
GO PPRRRRROOOOOOOOOVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
22 Oct 2012, 11:29 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-55: Ouch. That awkward moment when someone gets smart and is then smacked down into his seat.
But for real, it’s gonna be a long week for Province fans on this site.
With good reason, of course. The Sharks and Bulls fans are gonna feed on our anxiety, with the semi defeat in CT this year coupled with that Final mauling in Dirtbin quite fresh in our hearts and minds.
Come Ikeys/Maties!
22 Oct 2012, 11:31 am
@Mr Black-56: Those who I antagonise, are those deserving of it
Sometimes you have to read between the lines, and seek the relevance AND decide just WHO you think the words are intended for…..
I am because fellows like HG are. Use what’s meant for you, ignore what isn’t.
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
@Mr Black-56:
Hate is goooooooood.
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
No decent WP supporter hates the Sharks…maybe the Blue Bulls, yes but not the Sharkies.
Feelings towards some of their supporters on the other hand….
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-55:
Did you enjoy the semi?
Bulls let the supporters down this year imo.
22 Oct 2012, 11:33 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-55:
wiki spits out 39 – 9 in 1980 Bulls v WP…
And for the record i am a province supporter, however, i am also a realist!
We aren’t going to win anything, with Groom, Catrikilis and Brache as a 9 – 10 – 12 combo.
22 Oct 2012, 11:34 am
@BishopsOD-58:
and lets not forget the u19 and u21′s
the u21′s are still a littlebt schoolboy but the u21′s is relevent as most of these okies will play cc soon. So basically both the bulls and wp have some decent blokes coming through.
22 Oct 2012, 11:37 am
@Mr Black-62:
not sure what to make of it, don’t think either side were particularly good at anything.
Lawrence definately stuffed the bulls and stopped them from getting any momentum. After that it was one way traffic. Would probably have been a good game to watch with another ref.
Wonder if Lawrence wonders why he is not on the internatonal panel anymore….and YES, I know he retired but only after being omitted.
22 Oct 2012, 11:38 am
@nama1-57:
And good luck to province. I’m glad we play you in the final, hate playing those pesky Lions.
22 Oct 2012, 11:41 am
@Gaz-63:
…and why not?
Groom to be the difference and show up Reinach as yet another great pretender from Sharkland.
22 Oct 2012, 11:43 am
Good on you Nama. None of this writing your own team off.
22 Oct 2012, 11:43 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-55:
How about last year – the Lions beat the Sharks by 26 – 42-16.
The biggest margin ever was 1980, when Northern Transvaal beat Western Province 39-9.
22 Oct 2012, 11:44 am
oh thanks for jinxing it, Keo.
22 Oct 2012, 11:46 am
@Mr Black-66:
Thanks. Good luck to your team too.
May the best team (WP) win on Saturday.
22 Oct 2012, 11:48 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl-65:
Conditions wasn’t good, and i agree about Lawrence. He should have played advantage when Lambie was tripped and produced a yellow for the knee in the face.
But as you know the refs get it wrong sometimes so i will forgive him.
22 Oct 2012, 11:49 am
@nama1-61: I have yet to meet a WP supporter who hates the Sharks. The Sharks team lost their inferiority complex years ago…….Time for the some of the fans to do the same.
22 Oct 2012, 11:51 am
@skunk-68:
Of course not.
WP is IN to WIN it.
That’s why we play the game.
With Keo jinxing your team, our chances have increased by 20% to win the CC for the 1st time since 2001.
@WP-Forever-69:
Yes, Morne Dup withdrawing on the morning of the final in 1980, was the reason that the team was in disaaray on that day.
22 Oct 2012, 11:55 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-73:
Exactly.
Seems some of them are hating on WP.(read HG) Some Capetownian probably banged a girlfriend of his back in the day.
@nama1-74:
IN it to WIN it.
22 Oct 2012, 11:59 am
WP
22 Oct 2012, 12:00 pm
@nama1-75: HG (rather unsuccessfully actually), attempts to mask one of the hugest inferiority complex’s in history.
I feel more than one chick of his was banged proper by a Capetonian. A complex the size of his, is not born out of just one episode
22 Oct 2012, 12:02 pm
@nama1-74:
Indeed.
Saturday will be “Boys Against Men”.
Let’s hope our WP youngsters are hungry enough on the day.
But the future looks bright for Province.
22 Oct 2012, 12:04 pm
@WP-Forever-78:
defo.
next year will be our year.
22 Oct 2012, 12:05 pm
@nama1-74: Yes… margin of win is meaningless.. what has a lot of meaning though is the 1982 – 1986 era when Province won a unsurpassed currie cup 5 times in a row! Now that was the stuff of legends!!
I know bulls fans like to point out that since the buls entered the Currie cup they won it the most times, but I always say the same… since Wp have been in the Currie Cup… they have won it 32 times.. the most for any team
22 Oct 2012, 12:07 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-77:
22 Oct 2012, 12:10 pm
The Sharks match-day 22 will likely have double the number of Springboks that the WP match-day 22 will have.
Sharks are massive favourites to win this.
If they lose, it will be a choke.
22 Oct 2012, 12:13 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-77: Considering his constant “brokeback” talk, are you sure it was one of his “chicks”?
22 Oct 2012, 12:16 pm
@WP-Forever-78: @Provvas-80:
This young team has the quality to emulate the team of 1982-1986.
The reason why that team was so succesful was because they had a very good tight five in Henning, Robert/Shaun, Hempies, Hennie, Div/Markgraaf…and of course exiting back line players.
Just like this team, except that we need extra TH.
I, for one, am also very exited about our prospects for the next few years.
22 Oct 2012, 12:18 pm
I just can’t see The Sharks losing the final. They have too much composure and they can vary their play according to what course the game is taking. K Daniel has been inspirational as a Captain, leading from the front and really gets his team fired up (but sadly, he’s a great provincial player but can’t make the step up to International level with the same level of success). I have always been a Lambie supporter at 15, but he’s the best 10 in SA at the moment by a country mile (including Goosen who of course is injured). A player of true class is one who always has time on his hands – Lambie is always un-flustered. And then the rest of the team have many players in form at the moment, especially in key positions, 15, 10, 8 and front row – in fact this whole team is in form.
WP are simply not up with The Sharks right now. Having said that, its a final and anything can happen. But it will be a major upset if The Sharks don’t win, comfortably!
22 Oct 2012, 12:19 pm
@WP-Forever-82: Not a choke. It will be THE choke to end ALL chokes that have dome before.
Love the way the guppies are trying desperately hard not to claim the outright and fuckingclear favourites tag.
I say Guppies by 30, anything less and their superstars will look stupid.
22 Oct 2012, 12:21 pm
@Maljan-85: The Sharks will win because they have about 10000000000000000000 more test caps and 1st class caps than what the WP kids have.
Nothing to do with inspirational captains.
22 Oct 2012, 12:22 pm
@nama1-84:
A lot of our exciting backline players are exiting, though – Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Gio Aplon… :-p
22 Oct 2012, 12:22 pm
@Mr Black-72:
Lambie is no Luis Suarez but he is getting there
22 Oct 2012, 12:22 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-86:
It is almost unthinkable to think the Sharks won’t win by at least 10 points.
22 Oct 2012, 12:24 pm
@WP-Forever-90: Jannie dup has played in more tests than the combined age of our front row…….
That in it’s own is a telling blow (ala Blades…..)
22 Oct 2012, 12:24 pm
@WP-Forever-90:
Or as they say in one of my most favourite Rob Reiner films:
“Inconceivable!”
22 Oct 2012, 12:25 pm
@Robzim-89: Lambie might not be a Suarez diver yet, but K-Dawg Daniel is certainly a Wayne Rooney in terms of trying to influence officials.
22 Oct 2012, 12:26 pm
@WP-Forever-90:
Don’t forget to add the 4 points advantage they will have because they are playing at home- ( as per Ross Tucker’s formula).
22 Oct 2012, 12:27 pm
Steyn and Mellet cited
22 Oct 2012, 12:29 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-86: becaue you say so?? trying to avert the facts on how KAK your kings performed?? FO Douche
22 Oct 2012, 12:30 pm
OK Change to the news. Both Mellet and MOrne have been cited
22 Oct 2012, 12:30 pm
@WP-Forever-82:
According to HG, you have to look at the last Bok team that played and then determine the number of Bok players in your team. That will give WP 5 “run on Boks”(Habana, JdV, Bekker, Vermeulen, Etzebeth,) while the Sharks had “only” 3. (Jannie, Beast and Alberts).
Conveniently ignoring the fact that there are probably another 6-8 Shark Bok players in the match 22 for Saturday or that two of the WP “run on Bok players” (JdV and Bekker) are not available.
Talk about clutching at straws to make a (moot) point.
22 Oct 2012, 12:30 pm
eish beot you beat me to the punch
22 Oct 2012, 12:32 pm
@nama1-98: Hey now he is as bad as you
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