GROOT Currie Cup Preview – Week 7

In Currie Cup action this weekend the Blue Bulls host the Cavaliers, Western Province take on the Valke at Newlands, the Golden Lions play Griquas at Ellis Park and the Sharks host the Cheetahs in a top-of-the-table clash.

Currie Cup Fixtures:

03 Aug – 19.10 SA – Blue Bulls v Boland Cavaliers – Loftus Versfeld
04 Aug – 15:00 SA – Western Province v Valke – Newlands
04 Aug – 15:00 SA – Golden Lions v Wildeklawer Griquas – Ellis Park
04 Aug – 17:05 SA – The Sharks v Free State Cheetahs – Durban

Currie Cup Table:

[TABLE=12]

Currie Cup Broadcast Schedule:

Friday 03 August 2007

South Africa TV – SuperSport
18:55 SA – CSN/SS1: Currie Cup Blue Bulls v Boland – LIVE

USA Web TV – Mediazone
http://www.mediazone.com
13:10 ET – Currie Cup: Blue Bulls v Boland
 
United Kingdom TV – SKY Sports
18:00 UK – SSX: Currie Cup: Blue Bulls v Boland

Saturday 04 August 2007

South Africa TV – SuperSport
11:10 SA – MNET/SS1: Currie Cup: Blue Bulls v Boland – H\L
14:45 SA – MNET/SS1: Currie Cup: WP v Valke – LIVE
14:45 SA – SS5/SS5A: Currie Cup: Lions v Griquas – LIVE
17:00 SA – MNET/SS1: Currie Cup: The Sharks v FS Cheetahs – LIVE
19:10 SA – CSN/SS1: Currie Cup: Lions v Griquas – Repeat

Web Radio – Radio Sonder Grense (Afrikaans)
http://www.rsg.co.za
15:00 SA – Curriebeker: Die Leeus tn Griekwas – REGSTREEKS
17:00 SA – Curriebeker: Die Haaie tn Die Cheetahs – REGSTREEKS

USA Web TV – Mediazone
http://www.mediazone.com
09:00 ET – Currie Cup: Western Province v Valke
11:00 ET – Currie Cup: Sharks v Cheetahs

Currie Cup Fixtures:

3 Aug – 19.10 – Blue Bulls v Boland – Loftus

The Bulls should have few problems overcoming Boland at home, despite the fact that Cavalier’s coach Deon Davids has made some sweeping changes to his backline to improve their defence.

Bulls coach Pote Human is not underestimating their opponents, however.

“It is going to be a very tough game. Boland are capable of playing total rugby and they are a bunch of friends who play for each other,” he said.

Prediction: Bulls by 20

Match Details:

Date: Friday 3 August 2007
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19.10 SA (17.10 GMT)
Referee: JC Fortuin (SARU)
Touch judges: Gareth Lloyd-Jones (SARU), Cobus Wessels (BB)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (Boland)

Teamsheets:

Blue Bulls – Boland Cavaliers:

Stefan Basson- 15 – Justin Peach
John Mametsa- 14 – John Daniels
JP Nel- 13 – Hennie Daniller
Wayne Julies- 12 – Hein Myburgh
Marius Delport- 11 – Jongi Nokwe
Derick Hougaard- 10 – Isma-eel Dollie
JP Joubert- 09 – Neil Papier
Pedrie Wannenburg- 08 – Nicolas  Prinsloo
Gideon Stegmann- 07 – Henley du Plessis
Hottie Louw- 06 – Zolani Mofu
Francois van Schouwenburg- 05 – Coenraad Basson
James Milton- 04 – Dries van Schalkwyk
Rayno Gerber- 03 – Tommy Dixon
Derick Kuun (Captain) – 02 – John Burke (Captain)
Jaco Engels- 01 – Johannes van Niekerk

Bandise Maku- 16 – Clement Lewis
Werner Kruger- 17 – Jane du Toit
Richard Bands- 18 – Bernadus van Blerk
Dewald Potgieter- 19 – Chris Potgieter
Neil Powell- 20 – Francis Henry Horne
Jacques-Louis Potgieter- 21 – Dewaldt Duvenhage
Danwel Demas- 22 – Antonius Verhoeven

4 Aug – 15:00 - WP v Valke – Newlands

Western Province will be looking to turn their shocking season around with a comprehensive victory over the Falcons at home. The Valke are winless in this year’s competition and will still be smarting from their 62 – 05 pasting against the Lions last week.

Interim coach Gary Gold has picked two flyhalves in the WP starting lineup with Naas Olivier at 10 and Peter Grant at inside centre.

“I said a couple of weeks ago that we are lucky to have two very good players in Peter and Naas. Peter played at 12 for us last year and that was very successful. We are just having a look at some combinations and a bit of a change at the back could do a lot for us,” said Gold hopefully.

Prediction: Western Province by 15

Match Details:

Date: Saturday 4 August 2007
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-off: 15.00 SA (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert (SARU)
Touch judges: Chris Healey (Natal), Louis Mzomba (WP)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (Boland), Jenny Bentel (WP)

Teamsheets:

Western Province – Valke

Conrad Jantjes – 15 – Riaan Viljoen
Tonderai Chavhanga – 14 – Akuila Nawecagi
Corne Uys – 13 – Bertus Swanepoel
Peter Grant – 12 – Hanno Coetzee
Sireli Naqelevuki – 11 – Nicky Kritzinger
Naas Olivier – 10 – Mark Harris
Bolla Conradie – 09 – Morné Adams
Robbie Diack – 08 – Sean Plaatjies
Gerrie Britz – 07 – Schalk van der Merwe
Justin Melck – 06 – Piet Krause (Captain)
Andries Bekker – 05 – Nico Luus
Ross Skeate – 04 – Marius Coetzer
Eddie Andrews – 03 – Gunder Williamson
Schalk Brits (Captain) – 02 – David Britz
Schalk Ferreira – 01 – Gavin Whittingham

Christiaan Liebenberg – 16 – Ryno Barnes
Brok Harris – 17 – Sangoni Mxoli
Selborne Boome – 18 – Hein Potgieter
David Hendricks – 19 – Callie Wannenburg
Paul Delport – 20 – Charl McLeod
De Wet Barry – 21 – Frederick Viljoen
Gio Aplon – 22 – Mpho Matsaung

4 Aug – 15:00 – Lions v Griquas – Ellis Park

Coach Loffie Eloff is expecting a clinical approach from his team against Griquas on Saturday. The Lions put in a much-improved performance last week to trounce the Valke 62-05 in Brakpan.

“What I’m happy about is how the guys kept their structures in a game that could easily have become scrappy and disjointed,” said Eloff about last week’s game,

“We know we can improve and we’re not going to read too much into that scoreline. I want the players to be more clinical. I’m not going to focus on the result, but on the execution, that’s my goal. The result gave us the momentum that we can build on and now we must focus on getting and maintaining that intensity.”

“Griquas are always tough, they have a good position on the standings and have troubled top teams already this year. We won’t underestimate them, but we mustn’t overestimate them either. We must just focus on getting our game right, because they love to feed off your mistakes. That is where the need to be clinical comes in… you can’t gift them opportunities,” concluded Eloff.

Prediction: Lions by 15

Match Details:

Date: Saturday 4 August 2007
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 SA (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Deon van Blommestein (SARU)
Touch judges: Christie du Preez (SARU), Stuart Berry (Natal)
TMO: Michael Cupido (Golden Lions)

Teamsheets:

Golden Lions – Wildeklawer Griquas

Louis Ludik – 15 – Zane Kirchner
Wylie Human – 14 – Baldwin McBean
Jaco Pretorius – 13 – Ronnie Cooke
Doppies la Grange – 12 – Barry Geel
Ryno Benjamin – 11 – MJ Mentz
Louis Strydom – 10 – Conrad Barnard
Jano Vermaak – 09 – Tertius Carse (Captain)
Jacques Cronje – 08 – Heinrich Stride
Willem Alberts – 07 – Francois Viljoen
Cobus Grobbelaar (Captain) – 06 – Jacques Burger
Franco van der Merwe – 05 – Evan Botha
Anton van Zyl – 04 – Lodie Britz
Brian Mujati – 03 – Eugene van Staden
Willie Wepener – 02 – Hans van Dyk
Heinke van der Merwe – 01 – Regardt Dreyer

Gavin Williamson – 16 – Louwtjie Louw
Bertus Smit – 17 – Bees Roux
Geo Cronje – 18 – Wayne van Heerden
Leo Koch – 19 – Gareth Krause
Freddie van Zyl – 20 – Tobie Botes
Jaco van Schalkwyk – 21 – Lafras Uys
Jan Hendrik Boshoff  – 22 – Tiger Mangweni

4 Aug – 17:05 – Sharks v Cheetahs – Durban

AJ Venter leads an unchanged Sharks side against defending Currie Cup champions Free State in this top-of-the-table clash in Durban on Saturday.

Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské is expecting the biggest game of the season so far.

“They have a very good team,” said Drotské.

“They also have some very good defensive structures – they have conceded just five tries in five games – and it will certainly be a very tough game. We have conceded just four tries and they have conceded just five – the next team is on 11 tries conceded. That, already tells a story. The team that manages to break down the opposition’s defensive lines and score tries will take the spoils,” concluded the Cheetahs boss,

Prediction: Sharks by 7

Match Details:
Date: Saturday 4 August 2007
Venue: Absa Stadium, Durban
Kick-off: 17.05 SA (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Willie Roos (SARU)
Touch judges: Jerome America (WP), Siyende Mayende (Natal)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (EP)

Teamsheets:

The Sharks – Free State Cheetahs

Stefan Terblanche – 15 – Bevin Fortuin
Odwa Ndungane – 14 – Philip Burger
Waylon Murray – 13 – Marius Joubert
Grant Rees – 12 – Meyer Bosman
Henno Mentz – 11 – Eddie Fredericks
Bradley Barritt – 10 – Willem de Waal
Rory Kockott – 09 – Noel Oelschig
Ryan Kankowski – 08 – Darron Nell
AJ Venter (Captain) – 07 – Duane Vermeulen
Jacques Botes – 06 – Heinrich Brussow
Johan Ackermann – 05 – Corniel van Zyl
Steven Sykes – 04 – Rory Duncan (Captain)
Patric Michael Cilliers – 03 – Jannie du Plessis
Skipper Badenhorst – 02 – Richardt Strauss
Tendai Mtawarira – 01 – Wian du Preez

Jody Jenneker – 16 – Ollie le Roux
Robbie Harris – 17 – Jacobus Gerber Calldo
Alistair Hargreaves – 18 – David Jacobus de Villiers
Keegan Daniel – 19 – Kabamba Floors
Scott Mathie – 20 – Tewis de Bruyn
Monty Dumond / Adrian Jacobs – 21 – Alwyn Hollenbach
Gcobani Bobo – 22 – Gavin Passens