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, 17:50 pm
@John1976-389:
26 Oct 2012, 17:53 pm
@Nikita-397:
Agree. The Sharks made us proud in NZ. WP youngsters are Ysters. The future is bright for SA. May the best team win.
26 Oct 2012, 17:55 pm
@wnbb-387: This turbulent week is nowhere near it’s end
As long as their are guppies standing, there are tantrums and matrums just waiting to happen.
@KeurboomPark-390: Eina. I have never been racist or sexist on this site. I plead guilty to charges of Sharksism, Bullsism and Meyersism – but racism and sexism, not moi.
26 Oct 2012, 17:55 pm
@Nikita-397: Lady,Sorry if any offence caused.None intended.
26 Oct 2012, 17:56 pm
@I am a stormer-399:
If the game is close by the time Schreuder and Pieterson comes on we can win it.
Hope the De Allende/JDJ combo gels.
26 Oct 2012, 17:56 pm
@Nikita-397: Have a goooooooooooooooood time in Dirtbin.
26 Oct 2012, 17:58 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-403:
I’ve been away for a while but by having a quick read of this thread it seems some here have been letting their little sensitivities get in the way of life itself.
Seems like just another normal season on keo.
26 Oct 2012, 17:59 pm
@wnbb-387:
I seem to remember Ranger saying he’d be away for 2 weeks.
26 Oct 2012, 18:00 pm
@ryecatcher-378: HG is a tool
But like most spanners, one needs them every now and again……
For us to win tommorrow, a lot has to go right for us, and more than a few things wrong for the Sharks.
Impossible, though, is nothing
I’m looking forward to 3 good games of rugga, all involving my beloved WP
26 Oct 2012, 18:01 pm
I will be at the Roman Lounge tonight. Come and get me!
26 Oct 2012, 18:03 pm
@Jeraldjay-405:
It is now time for the youngsters to stand up and be counted. Whatever anyone says it is still the Currie Cup – actually it is Super Rugby allowing for injuries.
Both teams will be pumped. Province will not be short on motivation but in finals rugby it is the team that keeps mistakes to a mininmum that will do the job.
26 Oct 2012, 18:07 pm
The Sharks player that concerns me the most is Cobus Reinach.
He can play.
26 Oct 2012, 18:10 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-409: Seeing that you are in the medical profession,I have found a cure for a particular malady which you might like to pass on to your
less pecunious patients.I have developed a condition called “benign tremor”
which whilst hardly being in the same league as Parkinsons
makes control of the mouse difficult.My doctor says that the condition
can be alleviated with medication.But hell,I am all pilled out.
I find that the Demon Booze works wonders,and that after 2 drinks(strongish)
the tremors subside to the point where I can perform neurosurgery.
Hope that you find this info helpful.Regards.
26 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
SHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrkkkkksssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26 Oct 2012, 18:11 pm
@Jeraldjay-412:
Keegan is a problem. he is genius. Soos “Die Windhond”.
26 Oct 2012, 18:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-409:
If I remember correctly, this is history repeating itself. In 2010 Province had the U/19′s and U/21′s in the final. Both of which we won. But then we went and duffed the big one. Can’t for the life of me remember who to.
I’m prepared to sacrifice one of the laaities matches for the big one.
‘Tis time to grab the Holy Grail.
Was an amusing read this afternoon, by the way.
26 Oct 2012, 18:13 pm
Whatever
26 Oct 2012, 18:13 pm
Brave call to make a new center pair for the finals. I see the stormers stole a Natal boy to help them out?,!
26 Oct 2012, 18:13 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-403: shame. reminds of someone i used to know… all the issues… and four more years of it to handle.
26 Oct 2012, 18:16 pm
@KeurboomPark-415:
Vermeulen and Etzebeth will sort him out.
Not worried about Keegan
26 Oct 2012, 18:17 pm
@shooter-391: whatever rocks your boat,big boy.If that’s what you see behind that post,then go ahead and knock yourself out.If,by chance,you see the numbers for the euro millions jackpot behind that post,please pass it on to me…pretty please.
26 Oct 2012, 18:18 pm
@Jeraldjay-420:
Hope so, Jay. This must be Duane’s Day.
26 Oct 2012, 18:19 pm
@shooter-419: fat cats smoking cigars, fat cats playing poker, fat cats work for telkom.
26 Oct 2012, 18:19 pm
@Jeraldjay-405:
That combo took everyone by surprise. Looks like it was Fleckie’s decision which AC is running with. It has to work out. The alternative is too ghastly to contemplate.
26 Oct 2012, 18:21 pm
@wnbb-421: ag man. just pulling your chain with the general non relevance of so many of your posts.. kinda like mine… except mine is not so rude most of the time
26 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
@ryecatcher-404:
Not at all. I’m having fun. Not the sensitive type.
26 Oct 2012, 18:27 pm
@umfezi-386: Excellent!
Sinnlos
Hilflos
Sie sind gottlos
Reise, reise…
But tomorrow…At Kings Park…
Dynamite and ….
Benzin…
Doch Dynamit und Terpentin
Ich brauche Öl für Gasolin
Explosiv wie Kerosin
Mit viel Oktan und frei von Blei
Einen Kraftstoff wie
BENZIN brand WePee…
26 Oct 2012, 18:33 pm
Gestapo’s here
26 Oct 2012, 18:34 pm
@Heavens Game-427:
CU Next Tuesday
26 Oct 2012, 18:34 pm
@Nikita-426: Enjoy Durban.
26 Oct 2012, 18:37 pm
DSTV box office movies suck
26 Oct 2012, 18:55 pm
@Dawn-431:
Try watching rugby and cricket.
26 Oct 2012, 18:58 pm
All of a sudden the Titans are in with a shout.
26 Oct 2012, 19:07 pm
@I am a stormer-433: Watched Dead Man Walking
on Dstv.Wonderful cast,Wonderful movie.Now see what you have done
Sharks Pedigree.You have lured me into my exceeding my ration of
1 post per month.
26 Oct 2012, 19:20 pm
@ryecatcher-434:
Was just being sarcastic. Watching sport on a Friday evening beats movies hands down.
You’re just playing catch-up with your posts. Same as me. But looks like this site has shut down for the night.
26 Oct 2012, 19:28 pm
The rugby is boring
Gimme a reason to watch it
26 Oct 2012, 19:28 pm
@I am a stormer-435: Good night pal.Talk in a couple of months.
26 Oct 2012, 19:32 pm
@ryecatcher-437:
Well it definitely won’t be tomorrow that we talk again. Not if Province win.
I think it’ll be a squeaker. Closer than people think.
26 Oct 2012, 19:43 pm
Yup !!! No lovely Sharkies to squabble with and the site dies BOOM…….maybe you will start feeding on each other.
26 Oct 2012, 19:50 pm
The thing is, it’s in the psyche of a fan to insert themselves into the team itself, almost as if you are talking about ourselves when the team wins. The fact is, none of us have anything to do with it and so deserve neither praise nor scorn as a result. People going on about congratulations when a team wins as if they themselves were playing the match instead of 22 randonm guys from places often not even connected to the province itself (in the case of the Sharks almost all).
The players deserve credit regardless, and to congratulate the team is showing good sportsmanship, but lets keep some perspective here, neither I nor Puma nor HG nor Skop will have had anything to do with the victory or loss so crowing either way is a bit of a hollow action to say the least.
We should be fans, and want our teams and players to do well, but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. This isn’t the armchair bloggers cup. The game is played by other people, not us.
Capice?
Good.
Gooooo Province.
26 Oct 2012, 20:11 pm
@stormersboy-440:
Good post. Too many around here believe that they are part of the inner sanctum of the team. And we are all just spectators to what is happening out there.
However.
The players are human too. Especially the youngsters. And they read the press. And the blogs.
It is natural to feed off positive energy as well as the negative variety.
All we want as armchair spectators is for our teams to do well. We just have to look at how many sportsmen and sportswomen have got into trouble over twitter posts.
26 Oct 2012, 20:19 pm
@I am a stormer-441: Sure and lets support all the way, some here seem to think that they are the actual players themselves it seems.
in the words of Rocky when he was having that bar room brawl with Tommy “Machine” Gunn in rocky 4 and the bar patrons asked him if he needed any help
“It’s OK fellas. This aint no pie eating contest”.
26 Oct 2012, 21:02 pm
@ Stormersboy…. I agree with that, cept putting pins in certain little dollies might have a bit of influence
26 Oct 2012, 21:05 pm
@Treehugger-443: LOL I thought you were saving your pins for some of your neighbours…..
26 Oct 2012, 21:27 pm
They have all been seriously discredited, with proof, was a humiliating experience for them, but is still maybe going to the MEC of KZN , can you believe it.
The one guy was so angry at the end he said he was going to lure and. Trap them in tunnels, then shoot them, his old demented hag says. ”No don’t do that they will do to much damage before you kill them all ” I don’t know how, its all a bit blank but I just launched myself at them, this senior cop that was one the guys doing the meeting caught me, held on and said calm down they trying to provoke you.
I came onto Keo this morning, then people rocked up at my place with fantastic evidence and credible witness. That’s why I disappeared for a couple of hours. Just got to figure out how we can handle this. I don’t really want a news crew involved at this stage unless I have to. I did agree Thursday morning then chickened out, was very hyped. So have a possible meeting for Monday morning depending.
26 Oct 2012, 22:10 pm
gonna be sweet when WP stuff these overfed sardines back in the fish cake mix they came oozing out of.. yeah it gonna be sweet watching these overrated fatfuck over fed sardines catch a might fine wake up tomorrow yeah is gonna be sweet.
26 Oct 2012, 22:23 pm
Ek Bly n bul – waar is die bulle?
Ja lekker. Die bulkring is baas. Waar is my horings?
26 Oct 2012, 22:32 pm
jy en keohane saam .. bulletjies sonder ballas en sonder horings ,., watse soort useless bulle is die
rugby is becoming overrated .. losing its sparkle its becoming a goddamn non eventful fait accompli..
I think this pathetic delusional homosapien is in dire need of some reawakening
26 Oct 2012, 22:40 pm
Ja altwee kuier saam – toe maar waar is die koeksusters?
Need the eoy tour too start – mind u even the rugby is kak these days, die grootbloubul terself selekteer uiters kak – alhoewel dit my knaters optangle miskien is dit vokol werd nie – oe hel dus maar suiwet.
26 Oct 2012, 22:50 pm
so when rugby turns out to be one fat overrated song and dance routine what else one got to look forward to in life.. 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 while breaking bread for another semester that may or may not come around.. but its a thinly veiled solace that leads men to consider that manliness is measured in blood or broken bones.
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