DHL Western Province or the Ford Pumas will be making history on Saturday when one of them qualifies for the Vodacom Cup final in a week’s time.
1 st Semi-Final
GWK Griquas (15) 30 / (5) 17 Blue Bulls (Final Score)
Neither of these sides has ever made it past the semi-final stage of the competition. They are playing each other in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon to determine which team will progress to the final, to be held on the weekend of 18 / 19 May at the venue of the top team from the North Section.
This is in accordance to a decision taken last year, that the venue of the final of the Vodacom Cup will alternate between north and south (should teams from the relevant section reach the final). Last year the final was held at the venue of the top team from the south which made the final (Pampas XV in Potch) and this year it will be at the home ground of the top team from the north that makes the final (Kimberley, Nelspruit or Pretoria).
The other semi-final is on Friday afternoon in Kimberley between the two teams that have dominated the Vodacom Cup playoffs since its inception in 1998 – GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls. Between them, they have won the title seven times and been runners up eight times.
If GWK Griquas win their semi-final, they will also host the final. If the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Ford Pumas win, the final will be in Mpumalanga, and if it’s the Blue Bulls against Western Province, the final will be in Pretoria.
It’s not the ideal scenario for DHL Western Province, as they are the only team this season that have not lost a game.
Western Province followed their seven from seven in the league phase of the Vodacom Cup with a comprehensive home win against the MTN Golden Lions in the quarter-final in Cape Town last weekend (58-34) and can be regarded as favourites over the Ford Pumas, who finished second in the North Section and eliminated the EP Kings by 30-19 last Friday.
One of the few survivors of DHL WP’s Vodacom Cup semi-final defeat in 2008 is midfielder PJ Vermeulen, who is now plying his trade for GWK Griquas.
For GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls, the semi-final is a replay of their first round clash in early March, won comfortably by the team from the Northern Cape (36-17) in Pretoria. The home team was totally outplayed on that day and conceded six tries to two.
However, the Peacock Blues will not have forgotten last year’s semi-final, when the Vodacom Blue Bulls, who snuck into the playoffs, caused somewhat of an upset in Kimberley (47-34) to advance to their fifth successive Vodacom Cup final.
Marnitz Boshoff, who kicked six penalties, three conversions and a drop goal on that day to help steer the Blue Bulls to a fine victory, has since left Pretoria and joined GWK Griquas, where he has been sharing the flyhalf duties with Francois Brummer, another former Bull.
When it comes to semi-finals and finals, these two teams are the most successful in Vodacom Cup history.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls have only lost one out of their 10 appearances in the semi-finals, while GWK Griquas have won six from eight.
Vodacom Cup Fixtures – Semi-finals
Friday 11 May 2012
GWK Griquas v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Referee: Quinton Immelman
Saturday 12 May 2012
DHL Western Province v Ford Pumas
Kick-off: 16:15
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Semi-finals history:
DHL Western Province
2008 – lost to Toyota Free State XV 27-22 in Cape Town
2000 – lost to GWK Griquas 41-27 in Kimberley
GWK Griquas
2009 – beat Sharks XV 36-25 in Durban
2008 – lost to Vodacom Blue Bulls 40-20 in Pretoria
2007 – beat Ford Pumas 46-26 in Kimberley
2005 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 16-13 in Kimberley
2001 – lost to Regent Boland Kavaliers 47-31 in Wellington
2000 – beat DHL WP 41-27 in Kimberley
1999 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 24-17 in Kimberley
1998 – beat Sharks XV by 47-28 in Kimberley
Ford Pumas
2007 – lost to GWK Griquas 46-26 in Kimberley
Vodacom Blue Bulls
2011 – beat GWK Griquas 47-34 in Kimberley
2010 – beat Sharks XV 33-3 in Pretoria
2009 – beat Leopards 45-34 in Pretoria
2008 – beat GWK Griquas 40-20 in Pretoria
2007 – beat Leopards 32-25 in Pretoria
2005 – lost to Leopards 17-11 in Pretoria
2004 – beat Toyota Free State XV 24-20 in Bloemfontein
2003 – beat Leopards 47-19 in Pretoria
2002 – beat Regent Boland Kavaliers 47-45 in Wellington
2001 – beat Toyota Free State XV 39-38 in Pretoria
Note: In 2006 there was no knock-out rounds – the Valke and Sharks XV progressed to the final, won by the Valke in Brakpan.
Vodacom Cup Previous Winners:
1998: GWK Griquas
1999: MTN Golden Lions
2000: Toyota Free State XV
2001: Vodacom Blue Bulls
2002: MTN Golden Lions
2003: MTN Golden Lions
2004: MTN Golden Lions
2005: GWK Griquas
2006: Valke
2007: GWK Griquas
2008: Vodacom Blue Bulls
2009: GWK Griquas
2010: Vodacom Blue Bulls
2011: Pampas XV
grootblousmile wrote:
That’s it….get those excuses in early.
31 @ bos_otter:
No excuses… but it’s nevertheless true…
How many players did the Kwasse lose to Super Rugby… whereas there is 30 odd Bulls in Australia at present.
Work it out, not so difficult to do, I promise you.
Basically Tukkies PLUS some Blue Bulls Academy players playing against Kwas….
This ones for you, Bulscot – won’t mean too much to anyone else:
President Barack Obama visits a Glasgow hospital …………..
He enters a ward full of patients with no obvious sign of injury or
illness. He greets one.
The patient replies:
Fair fa your honest sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin race,
Aboon them a ye take yer place,
Painch, tripe or thairm,
As langs me airm.
Obama is confused, so he just grins and moves on to the next patient.
The next patient responds:
Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat an we can eat,
So let the Lord be thankit.
Even more confused, and his grin now rictus-like, the President moves
onto the next patient, who immediately begins to chant:
Wee sleekit, cowerin, timorous beasty, O the panic in thy breasty,
Thou needna start awa sae hastie, Wi bickering brattle.
Now seriously troubled, Obama turns to the accompanying doctor and
asks, ‘Is this a psychiatric ward?’
‘No’ replies the doctor, ‘This is the serious Burns unit.’
What did he kick that for?
Dit is Tukkies teen Griekwas, studente doen nie te sleg nie. 😉
33@ Just For Kicks:What? Just because I support the Cheetahs, you think that I don’t know the writings of the poet Robbie Burns? Fark you and your Stormers arrogance! Battle lines have been drawn! Chose you weapons!
So now the Kwas turn down the 3 points. Hmmmmm
36@ Loosehead:I apologise most humbly, my Lord, I didn’t see you sneak in, or I definitely would have added you to the list!! Hahaha
33 @ Just For Kicks:
Talking about Burns…
My son’s grandfather (on BnzaiGBS’s mother’s side) is a direct decendant of the original Robbie Burns…. surname Burns and all
Griquas 22 / 5 Blue Bulls
@ Loosehead:I’m also guessing you’ve been to a few Burns nights in your time.
38@ Just For Kicks: Accepted. I am going to
you early next week.
@ grootblousmile:
So GBS….must be pure luck that this much bigger franchise (Bulls) with loads more players and talent to pick from, reached the semi’s then, hey? 🙂
Thought both teams got the this point because they are good, or thus far, evenly matched 🙂
#* Fishing*#
@ grootblousmile:You never cease to amaze me!!!!!
43 @ bos_otter:
Yip, Tuks did well to reach the Vodacom Cup semi-finals
Try to the Bulls
Griquas 25 / 12 Blue Bulls
44 @ Just For Kicks:
I know… I amaze EVERYBODY… even myself!
Lol GBS…trek net jou been man….relax.
Ons almal weet dat vir dieselfde rede die Lions so goed gedoen het met die Currie Cup laas jaar :)….en die Cheetahs ect in ander jare.
Tryyyyyyy Tuks!
I mean Bulls… Daniel Adongo!
49 @ bos_otter:
Ek weet… ek’s ‘n trotse Tukkie….
Try time.
Griquas 22 / 17 Blue Bulls
Self in P-Town try swot….party life het vookeur geniet though 🙂
The influence of the tour and injuries on the Blue Bulls
VC front row: Dawie Steyn, Nbonambie, Rayno Gerber– Kirsten injured
Locks: Van Velze and Hess. Jacques Potgieter injurie.
Loose forwards: Tecklenburg, Jean Cook (injurie) and Arno Botha (Dewald Potgieter injured)
Fudge Mabeta is also injured.
The forwards of today is indeed C-team.
Flok, daar brei ‘n Tannie…. eishhhh
Hahaha
She’s knitting a Bulls jersey, pink and all! Hahahaha
The Jantjies family have a serious follicle problem, don’t they
58 @ Just For Kicks:
They’re a cross-breed… half Ridgeback, half human… hehehe
Try Stemmett for Kwas
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