ABSA Currie Cup First Division – Semi-Finals Preview
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- Photo by www.bolandrugby.com
Based on their performances in 2011, the Regent Boland Cavaliers and EP Kings have to be outright favourites to win their Absa Currie Cup First Division semi-finals on Friday.
The Cavaliers and Kings were in a class of their own, each losing just once during the season thus far, incidentally their away-matches against each other.
Such were their dominance, that the EP Kings, who finished second on the log with 42 points, had double the amount of points of the third-placed Valke, their opponents in the second semi-final.
Boland finished on 46 log points and host the Tasol Solar Griffons, who were fourth on the log with 18 points.
Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Tasol Solar Griffons
With two comprehensive victories against the Tasol Solar Griffons this season, the Regent Boland Cavaliers will be looking for more of the same when they host the Northern Free State team in the first Absa Currie Cup First Division semi-final on Friday.
Twice this season the Cavaliers came close to scoring 50 points against their opponents on Friday, and even though the Griffons managed to increase their points tally from 7 in Welkom in July to 29 in Wellington last month, they still could not curb Boland’s high scoring.
In fact, the Cavaliers have scored 473 points thus far this season, for an average of 47 per match, compared to the Griffons’ 280 at an average of 28. But the Bolanders have also been the best defensive team in 2011, concending 187 points and 24 tries at an average of 19 points and just over 2 tries per match.
Teams:
Regent Boland Cavaliers: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Danwell Demas, 13 Cornal Hendricks, 12 PJ Vermeulen, 11 Brendon April, 10 Elgar Watts, 9 Bolla Conradie (captain), 8 Zandre Jordaan, 7 Junior Bester, 6 Milroy Isaacs, 5 Grant le Roux, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Eugene Butterworth, 2 Clemen Lewis, 1 Janro van Niekerk. Replacements: 16 Ashton Constant, 17 Charl du Plessis, 18 Henjo van Niekerk, 19 Thor Halvorsen, 20 Neil Papier, 21 Jonathan Franke, 22 Jacquin Jansen.
Tasol Solar Griffons: 15 Tertuis Maarman, 14 Ricardo Pietersen, 13 Werner Griesel (captain), 12 Japie Nel, 11 Virgil Russel, 10 Tiaan van Wyk, 9 Andries Mahoney, 8 Nicky Steyn, 7 Willie Britz, 6 Martin Sithole, 5 Stefan van Rooyen, 4 Gavin Annandale, 3 Jaco Louw, 2 Hannes Snyman, 1 Sarel Louw. Replacements: 16 Derick van Heerden, 17 Petros Methula, 18 Johan van Heerden, 19 Erik le Roux, 20 Shaun Raubenheimer, 21 Reinard Erwee, 22 Thabang Molefe.
Regent Boland Cavaliers vs Tasol Solar Griffons
Date: Friday, 7 October
Kick-off: 16:00
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Jason Jaftha
Assistant referees: Mark Lawrence, Cobus Wessels
Television match official: JC Fortuin
Last four meetings in Absa Currie Cup First Division:
- · 20 August 2010: Griffons won 52-13 in Welkom
- · 1 October 2010: Boland won 40-25 in Wellington
- · 22 July 2011: Boland won 46-7 in Welkom
- · 3 September 2011: Boland won 47-29 in Wellington
EP Kings vs Valke
The Valke have not beaten the EP Kings in the last three seasons and face the tough task of travelling to Port Elizabeth for their Absa Currie Cup First Division semi-final against the defending champions.
In fact, before this season the team from the East Rand, who still played in the Premier Division in 2008, won only one of their 20 league matches in the First Division. This season they have shown a marked improvement and have won four out of their ten games.
However, the Valke will have to improve even more if they are going to trouble the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth. In their last four encounters, the team from the Eastern Cape have won with an average score of 41-17.
Teams:
EP Kings: 15 SP Marais, 14 Norman Nelson, 13 Joe Breytenbach, 12 Jaco Bekker, 11 Andile Witbooi, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Falie Oelschig, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Devin Oosthuizen, 6 Darron Nell (captain), 5 Ross Kennedy, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Bobby Dyer, 1 Ronnie Uys. Replacements: 16 Frank Herne, 17 André Schlechter, 18 Barend Pieterse, 19 Mpho Mbiyozo, 20 Danie Faasen, 21 George Whitehead, 22 Tiger Mangweni.
Valke: 15 John-Wessel Bell, 14 Willie Odendaal, 13 Franco Booysen, 12 Clinton Kayser, 11 Heinrich Rademeyer, 10 Juan Kotze, 9 Jaco Snyman, 8 Marco Kotze, 7 Bradley Fortuin, 6 Theo Becker, 5 Johan de Bruin, 4 Chris Ehlers, 3 Zander de Kock, 2 Shöne van der Walt (captain), 1 Zane Kilian. Replacements: 16 Enzo Venter, 17 Nico Engelbrecht, 18 Pieter Lubbe, 19 Christopher Yearsley, 20 Kyle Hendricks, 21 Coert Cronje, 22 Warren Perkins.
EP Kings vs Valke
Date: Friday, 7 October
Kick-off: 18:30
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Pro Legoete
Assistant referees: Joey Salmans, Stefan Breytenbach
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen
Last four meetings in Absa Currie Cup First Division:
- · 7 August 2010: EP Kings won 38-3 in Port Elizabeth
- · 17 September 2010: EP Kings won 50-35 in Kempton Park
- · 5 August 2011: EP Kings won 36-20 in Kempton Park
- · 16 September 2011: EP Kings won 40-10 in Port Elizabeth
Note: Both games will be televised live on Supersport 1 on DStv.
Absa Under-21 B Semi-finals
Friday, 7 October
15:30: EP Kings vs Pumas – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
18:40: Border vs Griquas – Buffalo City Stadium, East London
Absa Under-19 B Semi-finals
Friday, 7 October
17:15: Border vs Pumas – Buffalo City Stadium, East London
Saturday, 8 October
15:00: Griffons vs Valke – North West Stadium, Welkom
SARU Competition Rules – Semi-Finals and Finals for 2011
Please note that the following rules will apply in all the semi-finals and finals of the Absa Currie Cup (Premier and First Divisions), Absa Under 21 and Absa Under 19 (Section A & B) to be played in October 2011.
Semi-finals: If scores are level after the scheduled time, the team that will proceed to the finals will be determined as follows:
a) the team scoring the most points within a 20 (twenty) minute extra time (10 minutes each way with a one (1) minute break), and if still level
b) the team scoring the most tries in the semi-final match, including extra time; and if still level
c) the team with the highest log position immediately prior to the semi-final match.
- · Note: Paragraph (a) will not apply to Under 19 Rugby
Finals: If scores are level after the scheduled time, the winner will be determined as follows:
a) the team scoring the most points within a (20) twenty minute extra time (10 minutes each way with a one (1) minute break); and if still level
b) the team with the highest log position immediately prior to the semi-final matches in that competition during the current season shall be the winner.
Note: Paragraph (a) will not apply for Under 19 Rugby
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