Currie Cup preview (Final)
26 Oct 2012
GARETH DUNCAN analyses Saturday’s Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province.
WHY THE SHARKS WILL WIN
Most of the odds lie in the Sharks’ favour: home ground advantage, they have the better team on paper, they have settled combinations and the stronger pack. Let’s not beat around the bush, the Sharks are overwhelming favourites to claim the title.
The Sharks have not lost against any South African team at home during Super Rugby and the Currie Cup. Kings Park has been a fortress against their local rivals, and they will carry that confidence into the title-decider. WP will also go into this match knowing they only won once in the last five against the men from Durban in all competitions. The bashing they received in the Super Rugby semi-final at Newlands must still haunt them.
A key advantage for the hosts will be their expected ascendancy among the heavies. While the Golden Lions boasted the strongest pack for most parts of the domestic competition, the Sharks forwards won that reputation during the latter league rounds and in the semi-final win over the Blue Bulls as their Springboks returned.
The Sharks boast brute strength up front, which has been central on attack and defence, their scrumming performances and setting a quality platform for in-form flyhalf Pat Lambie and his dangerous backline. There’s a 60% chance of rain in Durban on Saturday, highlighting the importance of dominance among the forwards.
Kudos must be given to head coach John Plumtree, who mastered the management of his Test players after they came back from Rugby Championship duty. The Kiwi learned his lesson the hard way last season when he rushed all seven of his internationals into the starting line-up when they jetted back from the World Cup in New Zealand. They struggled to make an impact in the 2011 Currie Cup final at Ellis Park, which saw the Lions ease to a 42-16 win. Plumtree will get the best out of his Boks on Saturday.
Lambie’s most outstanding individual performance came in the 2010 Currie Cup final. He’s yet to eclipse that memory over the last two years, but the signs he’s shown over the last fortnight in the No 10 jersey indicate he’ll be an important player on the pitch on Saturday. Even though he struggled to get game time with the Springboks this season, he’s looked confident at flyhalf and will play a vital role with the boot and in marshalling his team-mates on his outside. A strong run this weekend will force Bok coach Heyneke Meyer’s hand in picking him at pivot (and not fullback) during the end-of-year tour.
If the Sharks gain ascendancy, their backline will thrive. Young scrumhalf Cobus Reinach has been Plumtree’s find of the season, the young centre combination of Paul Jordaan and Tim Whitehead has gelled really well (to think Frans Steyn will still jump into the midfield equation next season), and wing JP Pietersen and fullback Louis Ludik are enjoying a purple patch of form.
This is the Sharks’ final to lose.
WHY WP HAVE A CHANCE
It doesn’t look good for the visitors.
They shocked the Lions by scoring a late try for a 21-16 comeback win in Johannesburg last weekend. But the final against the Sharks should be a step too far.
However, head coach Allister Coetzee and optimistic Province fans will say: ‘never rule out the underdogs’.
The main targets the Cape side will aim for are the lineouts, the breakdown battle and the tactical kicking game. If WP can achieve any ascendancy in these facets of play, they’ll have hope.
The Sharks have been poor at the lineouts in recent weeks, while Province have excelled at the set piece throughout the domestic campaign. Province will miss their injured lineout kingpin Andries Bekker, but if they can continue their impressive showings, they have a platform to attack from. Their driving maul has beaten most defences from close range.
The individual performances of No 8 Duane Vermeulen and flank Deon Fourie will be very influential. Both players have been consistent throughout the year, and their team will need big contributions from them. They’ll be key in the breakdown assault and as ball carriers. Fourie will also need to keep a cool head and not concede needless penalties.
The halfback combination of Nic Groom and Demetri Catrakilis will need to fire. The two players know each other well as they’ve played alongside each other ever since the 2011 Varsity Cup with UCT.
Groom provides quick service and will keep the defenders around the fringes on their toes, which takes some pressure off Catrakilis. The Kings-bound pivot has impressed with the boot when his forwards hold their own up front, but he’s known to falter when defences give him no space or time with the ball. The Province pack need to play their part, as Catrakilis will be a vital part of their tactical kicking game.
If WP can achieve this, they will have the chance to win favourable field positions. If they can milk kickable penalties off the Sharks, the visitors have a sharpshooter to rely on. But I stress, this will be a tough task.
It will be interesting to see how Coetzee’s gamble of starting rookie Damian de Allende at inside centre pays off. Marcel Brache has been inconsistent and many feel JP du Plessis (who’s with the U21s) should’ve been given a go, but Coetzee seems confident De Allende can provide a physical presence. Province can’t afford him to falter.
WP don’t have much running for them, but if they can put the Sharks under pressure in the aforementioned areas, they could find themselves in the position to pull off one of the most unlikeliest upsets of the year.
FORM
Sharks WWLWLWLWWWW
WP LWLWWLWLLWW
Sharks – 15 Louis Ludik, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (c), 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Steven Sykes, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Kyle Cooper, 17 Wiehahn Herbst, 18 Jandre Marais, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Odwa Ndungane.
WP – 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Don Armand, 6 Deon Fourie (c), 5 De Kock Steenkamp, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Deon Carstens, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Marcel Brache, 22 Joe Pietersen.
Gareth’s prediction: Sharks by 15
567 Comments
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26 Oct 2012, 22:56 pm
Wat meet is daar, rugby en pompy, miskien biltong – wattefok kak praat jy vannaand?
Eerlikke vokkol – toe maar, ghostbusters.
26 Oct 2012, 22:58 pm
People in your state should be banned from using the internet.
26 Oct 2012, 22:59 pm
@assagai-450:
“a lekker pomp once upon a time in a haystack and then its all gone… when the reality of the ephemeral nature shows up on stage and Freddy the mercurial calypso cries out ave maria one last time then you gotta know that the last supper is for those who ache to dine on koeksusters and boschendal wine”
Skop, this is a classic. Tell me that you don’t this stuff up.
26 Oct 2012, 23:03 pm
Evening Finfan – which reaction u looking for me or ou doos die groot doos? Are u a tannie or a bloke before I trek your broekies laag?
26 Oct 2012, 23:06 pm
ja dis wat die heiliges wil bedaar dis alles wat die lewe in volle sin maak, rugby en pomp.. dis al. saam met bietjie biltong and brandewyn an roomys op die koeksuster na etes voor die slaapkamer prestasies en proeitjies
heerlike smaaklike fokol van niks. net n ander onnoselike onoorwonderde dier wat sy senuweeagtigheid wil uit deel.
26 Oct 2012, 23:06 pm
@cab-454:
“Are u a tannie or a bloke before I trek your broekies laag?”
Another late night classic.
You and skop deserve each other.
26 Oct 2012, 23:06 pm
I’m a cop and I’ll come in my van to arrest you.
26 Oct 2012, 23:11 pm
Oe hel speedkop patrolie, it’s only a matter of time I reckon – toe maar – are u male ir female, I don’t mind being cuffed by a tannie I’ll go quietly.
Ja ou dosie presies reg, prestasies en al, working mans pubs still got best vibe – only problem is nOne of these poeslike ****’ work anymore.
26 Oct 2012, 23:12 pm
check ou finfan .. he reckon he got the keys to the cuckoos nest.. ain’t it a heavenly gesture by these self serenading sanctimonious saints of sanity when they reckon they are the custodians of high society moral fiber…
Oh heaven sent saintly seal of enlightenment when will Socrates rent your intoxicated sarcophagus asunder ?
26 Oct 2012, 23:21 pm
IAAS
your boys going to do it this time? Where elstadt and fourie and kolisi and etsebeth – u gotvthose 4 and I reckon tata sharkies – but alberts is n moerse buffel.
26 Oct 2012, 23:24 pm
WEEPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
By 10…..at least.
Vok die sandhaaie.
26 Oct 2012, 23:26 pm
we only pumping on 2 and a half pistons.. Elstadt, Kolisi are moer toe so we only got Fourie, Ntubeni, Etsebeth, Vermeulen and some promise from Armand to turn to
and we got a very shaky little flaky Athenian at No.10
otherwise we pretty good to go to take these overrated self made glory singers apart in their own little self made tower of vain glory kings park.
26 Oct 2012, 23:27 pm
Nama1 kom nou asb – waar is jou maniere?
Ai
26 Oct 2012, 23:28 pm
@cab-460:
Alberts is MOEG. That’s why they will send on Deysel later on. It won’t help them one bit because one moerse tackle on that overrated fatty and it will be all over skedover.
Sharks gaan kak more. Read my lips.
26 Oct 2012, 23:31 pm
@cab-463:
Wat bedoel jy nou, Cab?
My span gaan wen en julle almal gaan more nammidag die koeke in die verhaal wees.
“READ” my lips.
26 Oct 2012, 23:32 pm
@cab-460:
We’ve got 2 out of those 4. Fourie and Etsebeth will be the manne tom.
Alberts might be a moerse buffel but he is just 1 guy. The province pack are gelling nicely as a unit.
The thing is – and I said it earlier – Province must believe that they can win. Not hope that everything goes ok on the day.
The sooner Province lose this underdog label the better. If they believe they can be Champions then it’ll happen.
I think the Saarks are in for a surprise tomorrow. A 1 point win is stll a win.
26 Oct 2012, 23:33 pm
I rhino wp at a better side and I think the sharks might just catch a moerse surprise but without those 4 wp back to old ways lug in die broek, met die genius van fleckie, maar daars vokkol fleckie deesdae – defense defense defense – Dom dom Dom – defense is important but for gdsake take it to them , dictate don’t get dictated to – otherwise u fkd as a pirsang
26 Oct 2012, 23:34 pm
@cab-463:
“waar is jou maniere?”
Watse maniere?
Waarvan praat jy?
…or were you busy with Skop/Cab part (vii)
26 Oct 2012, 23:38 pm
Lol that is some freaky chit Skop, didn’t understand a word of it, but I would love to be able to stand up up and recite that to a bunch of bombastic poepals. They wouldn’t understand it either but none would have the balls to say WTF !!!! Lololol
You are cooked my friend !
26 Oct 2012, 23:39 pm
Nama1 trek net n bietjie draad, joune- oe fk dus miskien meer sleg, nou praat ek eerste graad kak
Fk me fire alarm – miskien is dit tyd vir tuis .
26 Oct 2012, 23:42 pm
@I am a stormer-466:
It won’t be by “1″ point bru, I can guarantee you that.
@cab-467:
We don’t need Fleckie.
Our laaities in the front row will hold their own against a NEAR Bok front row. (+WP)
We’ll win the line outs. (+WP)
Our back row will be competitive. (slightly + Sharks)
Our half back pairing will outplay them (thanks to GROOM)
Our centers will outplay them (thanks to JdJ)
Our back three will outplay them. (thanks to Habana/Aplon)
The WP team will outplay them.
End result: WP will win the CC.
26 Oct 2012, 23:44 pm
Oh, and that’s not a bad thing, cos apparently I am as well.
26 Oct 2012, 23:45 pm
we could read these overrated shizenhouzen the riot act tomorrow if we take the game to them.. that is why this dumb bloody coach should have played Schreuder at 10 from first kick off, we would stuff those fanny faced little guppyuppie poeftas straight back inside their sanctimonious sardine cans.
26 Oct 2012, 23:46 pm
@cab-470:
Jy suip te veel deesdae.
Try to be sober when you are on this site. You’ll make more sense.
Currently, you make no sense at all.
26 Oct 2012, 23:47 pm
@nama1-471:
From your lips to god’s ears. May it be so.
26 Oct 2012, 23:50 pm
Janee jdj got tge ability to cave them a new one but they don’t use and encourage him for tge strukerunner he is – u gotta build that boy up – whisper sweet nothings in his ear about how untouchable he is met bal in die hand – instead these fkwits telling him ‘moenie tekkel mis’
tell u what ou matfield big fan if sports psychology and so on but our coaches positively backwards. – they read this and talk that – end ofvthe day what they concentrate on defense – met a D vir Doos
En
Dankie
26 Oct 2012, 23:52 pm
@assagai-473:
Skop, chill. It was a masterstroke to play Schreuder at 10 for the last 10. Doesn’t mean that it’ll work every time.
We still need a kicker to take the penalties. We need the greek. Think. Especially with Pietersen on the bench.
26 Oct 2012, 23:53 pm
glad you appreciated it my conscientious life appreciative dear.. and with that I will say adieu adieu adieu
26 Oct 2012, 23:55 pm
Nama1 sound advice
die probleem is, ek hou baie van suip, dit is verskriklike lekker, almal is duisende keer meer interessant alhoewel hul kakpraat – almaal.
26 Oct 2012, 23:58 pm
To god , to god , those gdam normans hey.
26 Oct 2012, 23:59 pm
@cab-479:
Almaal.
Lekker slaap ou grote. Don’t stop supporting die streeptruie.
Skop, Nama. We compare notes tom. Cheers.
27 Oct 2012, 00:18 am
@nama1-471:
What about Peiper?
He is the one that will lead the WP charge
Taking a wager WP can play a nice return,
Unless Pieti Van Zyl and few of his clones will manage to get near the touch lines,,,
27 Oct 2012, 00:25 am
@I am a stormer-475:
Believe me, you can maar open your most precious bottle of wine tomorrow and drink it all on your own. We’re going to moer this Sandhaaie.
Who do you favour: A sandhaai vs a hungry snoek?
27 Oct 2012, 00:31 am
@nama1-483:
It can be done. I know. That’s why I am saying that the players need to be instilled with that positive belief. There is no lack of motivation. The pre-match team chat will be quite short.
27 Oct 2012, 00:32 am
@cab-479:
I DON’T disagree with you there.
@Hondo-482:
)
What about Peyper? (It’s Peyper, not Peiper of is jy ook gesuip?
You already said that he is on the take from WP!!!
So, why do I have to worry?
IF, and this is a big IF, WP lose, then your conspiracy theory re referees on the take is in its moer. So, you better pray and hope the WP win tomorrow.
27 Oct 2012, 00:33 am
@nama1-483:
Anyway, cheers mate. Doodie time. Speak tom. There’s a big day ahead.
27 Oct 2012, 00:39 am
@cab-479:
Lo Cab, this is a funny one…. Amper “almaal” praat meestal kak heeldag op keo selfs al is hulle nugter, ek dink nie drank moet die skuld vir die kakpratery kry nie.
27 Oct 2012, 00:40 am
@I am a stormer-484:
All you have to do, is to BELIEVE.
We’ll do it tomorrow.
BELIEVE it.
I aloready explained HOW.
THEY are the team under pressure.
27 Oct 2012, 00:42 am
@I am a stormer-486:
Lekker slaap.
You won’t be able to sleep tomorrow night. That’s for sure.
27 Oct 2012, 00:42 am
@Robzim-487:
27 Oct 2012, 00:46 am
@Robzim-487:
Hy kom deesdae gereeld naweke op die site as hy gesuip is. Ek wonder wat gaan aan?
Gelukkig is hy nie een van die ouens wat se:” Nee man, ek suip nie, ons het maar net lekker “gekuier” nie.”
27 Oct 2012, 01:12 am
@cab-470:
“Nama1 trek net n bietjie draad,..”
Only see this now.
“trek net ‘n bietjie draad” in Afrikaans means that you are mas.turbating.
I’m sure that’s not what you were doing or what you meant.
27 Oct 2012, 01:21 am
WEEPEE going to win the Currie Cup this afternoon.
By 10.
27 Oct 2012, 01:59 am
@assagai-473:
AC is picking The Greek for his boot. **** that is soooo conservative. Wake up, AC! Scheuder is a WMO. Class. Pure class. Honibal meets Joost. This kid is being shafted!
27 Oct 2012, 07:31 am
Time for the grind wpians.
Sharks issie pappie dissie feit mofos.
27 Oct 2012, 07:41 am
Hi kom n ding
Die haaie gaan sing
Word wakker wpians die currie cup kom weer natal toe!
27 Oct 2012, 07:49 am
Haha wp is uiters…swak?
27 Oct 2012, 07:59 am
@wp. winning nothing never looked so easy-497:
You’ve got a big mouth.
What size shoe does your mouth take?
27 Oct 2012, 08:17 am
Dont be sensitive.
Natal will be the champs again.
Its normal service.
27 Oct 2012, 08:27 am
@wp. winning nothing never looked so easy-499:
A sharks supporter calling a Province supporter sensitive! That’s funny.
Sensitive saarks supporters seem to have taken their sensitivities elsewhere.
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