The Sharks will host DHL Western Province in this year’s Absa Currie Cup final after wildly contrasting victories over the Vodacom Blue Bulls and defending champions the MTN Golden Lions respectively in Saturday’s semi-finals.
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The final – a repeat of the 2010 showpiece won 30-10 by the men from Durban – will take place on Saturday at Mr Price Kings Park, with kick-off scheduled for 17h00.
It is the Sharks’ fourth final in five years – their third at home during this time – and they will be gunning for a third title to go with those won in 2008 (14-9 over the Blue Bulls, in Durban) and two years ago.
In the first semi-final, flyhalf Pat Lambie, who was an instrumental part of the Sharks’ dominant victory in the 2010 final, turned in a second man-of-the-match performance in as many weeks to help his side to a 20-3 win in Durban in a match played on a rain-drenched pitch.
And at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg, Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies kicked what seemed like a match-winning penalty with 90 seconds remaining – only for WP to maul flanker Deon Fourie over the line on the hooter to seal a famous come-from-behind win and so end the defending champions’ reign.
Sharks (9) 20 Vodacom Blue Bulls (0) 3
Another impressive performance by Pat Lambie inspired the Sharks to a comprehensive win over the Vodacom Blue Bulls to power their way into the Absa Currie Cup final.
If ever there was a time that Lambie could send Bok coach Heyneke Meyer a clear message of his intentions to play flyhalf for the national team, the wet and muddy Durban game was the perfect moment.
With conditions not ideal for running rugby, the Sharks kept their composure more and capitalised on the Blue Bulls’ indiscipline and mistakes, and simply built an innings around Lambie’s boot as the visitors disintegrated in their own frustration.
The Sharks controlled the game from start to finish as their pack gained ascendency; they bettered the Blue Bulls in the scrums and made far less mistakes with ball in hand.
This resulted in almost no ball to attack from in the first half, and the Sharks reveled in their dominance up front. With so much ball and so many attacking opportunities, the pressure had to tell. And with it the Blue Bulls started giving away penalties.
Lambie may have missed his first one, but then slotted a perfect second and simply didn’t look back. But his all-round control of the game was a sign of maturity, and it was costly for the Blue Bulls as he saw space behind the defence on the half hour, and chipped only to be stopped by a trip by prop Morné Mellett.
Mellett was lucky to get only a yellow card but the indiscretion was still costly, as Lambie slotted two more penalties in Mellett’s absence to let the home side lead 9-0 at the break.
In the second half the Blue Bulls’ discipline disintegrated even more, and Lambie kept on slotting the penalties. By the time the reserves started appearing the Sharks were 15-0 up and even when Morné Steyn finally got a shot at goal, the game was virtually over.
Lwazi Mvovo slid in at the corner to put the game beyond doubt, and the Sharks were already looking forward to a home final by then.
Scorers:
Sharks – Try: Lwazi Mvovo. Penalties: Pat Lambie (5).
Blue Bulls – Penalty: Morné Steyn.
MTN Golden Lions (3) 16 DHL Western Province (6) 21
The MTN Golden Lions’ reign as Absa Currie Cup champions came to a dramatic end at Coca-Cola Park as a driving-maul try on the hooter clinched DHL Western Province a famous semifinal win.
The Lions will feel they did everything but win as they were the better team for much of the way and put WP under sustained pressure, but they failed to capitalise on their many opportunities and were left to rue the mistakes late in the game that could be said to have grabbed them defeat from the jaws of victory.
Certainly it looked as if the Lions were on their way to their second consecutive final when flyhalf Elton Jantjies made up for some horrendous early misses by kicking an angled pressure penalty 90 seconds from time that put his side two points ahead.
But then came a mistake when they failed to clear their line from the restart, and WP pulled out the most tried and trusted try-scoring method by mauling their way 17 metres for the match-clinching score off the final move of the game.
There was plenty to enthuse about from the WP attacking play in the second half, with the introduction of Joe Pietersen at fullback and Louis Schreuder as the flyhalf in the last quarter making a dramatic difference to a game that they were losing at that point, but in the end it was that lineout maul that lost the Lions the game.
Jaco Taute, destined to play for the DHL Stormers in Vodacom Super Rugby next year, will kick himself for his role in his team’s demise. He kicked directly into touch in trying to clear the Lions’ red zone and was adjudged by referee Marius Jonker to have done so after the ball was carried back into his 22.
So instead of the Lions getting away from the 22-metre area, they ended up having to defend as Scarra Ntubeni fed the lineout and WP drove inexorably to the line, where flanker Deon Fourie eventually touched down.
It was a sad way for the Lions to end competitive rugby for the season as they head into the no-man’s land that they will find themselves in next season when they watch the Super Rugby tournament played without them.
Scorers:
Lions – Try: Michael Rhodes. Conversion: Elton Jantjies. Penalties: Jantjies (2), Ruan Combrinck.
WP – Tries: Joe Pietersen, Deon Fourie. Conversion: Joe Pietersen. Penalties: Demetri Catrakilis (2), Pietersen.
Hello folks,
Firstly congratulations to The Sharks and Western Province for making it into the Currie Cup final!
Secondly, you might notice my nickname is back to just “grootblousmile” in stead of “madala grootblousmile”…. well it’s because I found out on Saturday night at my Matric Reunion that I still look bloody sharp for my age, after seeing the bald heads, grey hair, big boeps and totally unrecognizable faces (was bloody difficult to recognize some of the girls).
There was about 80 of us… and we had a jol!
The stoutgatte from all those years ago, are still the stoutgatte of today…. hehehe
Apart from one or 2 who have become arrogant, pompous pricks (and I must say looking back the signs were already there of it happening 30 years ago)… it was so nice to catch up!
We were probably the strongest group of matrics in the school’s history, and we were very fortunate to be in such a great academic and sports school with great teachers and a headmaster who knew what he was doing.
Well done to the class of ’82 at Menlopark, Pretoria!
So, my advice to you, if you get the chance to go to a reunion, do so!
@ grootblousmile:
1. If you wrote matric in ’82 you are far from old!
2. We (Province) are probably gonna get klapped this weekend, but I’m still proud of the team making it to the final … 🙂
2 @ kwaailight:
Yip, I am not old… just have years and years of experience….. hehehehe
@ grootblousmile:
Matric in 82? Bloody hell GBS, I might have to show you some respect.
4 @ Loosehead:
Hahaha… I thought you WERE showing me respect already….
The two best teams are in the final.
Sharks will be too strong for the WP I am afraid.
@ grootblousmile:
Were there some awkward moments with an ex goose or two and your current handbriek?
7 @ Loosehead:
Nah, no awkward moments…. gave all the old female friends a friendly drukkie and a klapsoen…. have nothing to hide from Handbriekie.
But you know how it goes, the matric girls were more buddies than girlfriends at the time, because they were mostly interested in guys a year or so older whereas we guys were interested in the girls a year or so younger.
Had a crush on a couple of the girls in my time, but that was way before matric… mostly with some who came right through from primary school days.
I see that both the dirty Bools Morne’s have been cited. Morne 10 for two acts of foul play.
8 @ grootblousmile:
Really?
I have never dated or “known” a girl / woman my age or younger.
10 @ Loosehead:
Eishhhh…. I did…. hahahaha
9 @ Loosehead:
I saw Mellett’s Yellow and expected a citing… and hear Morné Steyn was cited for a stiff arm.
Actually surprised at Steyn’s citing, he does’nt have a propensity to play dirty.
Was it a nasty stiff arm?
12 @ grootblousmile:
More a swinging arm that connected.
Must say that as a neutral, Mark Lawrence was pathetic in his interpretations at the ruck, allowing (for one) Keegan Daniel to lie all over the wrong side of the ruck, and the Sharks in general to not release the tackled player without being penalised.
Reminded me soooooo much of a NH ref who are generally VERY lax on those two points.
Anyway, irrespective the Sharks were the better team, playing far better football on the day.
As for the Lions, well, how to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.
Hard times ahead in Doornfontein methinks.
I for one won’t be watching the CC final.
With 3 family birthdays this weekend including my 50th, I can think of better things to do than watch 33 prats chasing an odd shaped ball around in the rain.
13 @ Scrumdown:
Phweeeeew…. 50…. that’s a BIGGGGG number…. hehehe
13 @ Scrumdown:
Lions will just have to tuff it out for a year… the Kings will be Super Shit in Super Rugby.
.. unless SARU shifts the goal posts at the end of 2013…. anything can be expected from them…
Still surprized the Lions did not take SARU to Court over the Super Rugby thing….
13l @ Scrumdown: 50? Bliksem donner.
50 aint a bad age. I will be 50 next year. Life is only starting then.
If I was KDK, I would be looking at next year as a platform to get the Lions involved in the Heineken Cup. We are in similar time zones to all the teams in the Heineken Cup, so we would receive maximum TV coverage. We would also have our share of the revenue. We also would not be restricted to 2 overseas players. We can then have a VC squad a CC cup squad and a HC squad. The challenge would be the overlapping games. Can you imagine a double header comprising the Lions playing a CC match and HC match on the same day. Yes it would test our depth, but we would have plenty of promising youngsters and ageing stars beating a path to play for us.
16 @ Loosehead:
As my MOTHER keeps on telling me, “It’s not how old, it’s how young you act”. 49 going on 19!!!!!!!!!!
And Mr GBS, don’t go on as if your half century is more than 20% of a decade away either!
18 @ Scrumdown:
Yip… at least my half century is not 1/73rd of a year away….. hahahaha
@ grootblousmile:
Bwahahaha. Point taken.
20 @ Scrumdown:
Arghhh, what is 2 years between friends…. oudste!
Hahaha
Hehehe.
I’m out of here.
Got to take my 16 year old 1,87m step son to Choir practice.
Eish. “A lock, a lock, my Kingdom for a lock”. Not quite Richard III but close enough.
I hit the 60 milestone in 2 months time. No discernible difference between 50 and that number! Lets hope my Sharks remain focused for the final.
23 @ 4man:
Oom 4man, jy moet jou gesondheid oppas, as jy wil lewe tot die final…. hahahaha
12 @ grootblousmile:
Gbs,
Morne is cited for two offences. Actually never saw the other one, must have missed it somehow. Just read it on Rugby365. Think Morne has become really frustrated and it is showing now that he is doing that sort of stuff, because like I said on the Morne thread on keo I have never seen him do anything like that before.
What Mellett done was damn dirty to trip up a runner. So expected him to be cited and cop a ban.
G’n wonner RT isse meer bedeesde township nie…
25 @ Puma:
Yeah… I suppose a Sharks player has NEVER EVER tripped someone or has NEVER EVER played illegally.
…. Oh no wait, where do I start…. do I go all the way back to Butch James’ younger years, or do I just stick with ALL the players IN the Sharks squad at present…
Yeah Doc Jannie has always been an angel, so too Dixon who got Yellowed about a week or 2 ago….
Shall I go on, you one-eyed Sharks fan?
Dirty…. mmmmm
Hell they are playing rugby, not ring-a-ring-a-rosies.
Mellett was maybe doff to attempt to trip… and do you think Morné is dirty…. argh forget it…. YOU won’t get the point… the Sharks can NEVER do wrong, neither can their players!
Your comment was nauseatingly bloody obtuse!
26 @ fender:
Hello Maestro….
27 @ grootblousmile:
Actually no I don’t think Morne is a dirty player. I have said it above, never seen him do that before, it seems the frustration of his game is coming out. Though he is cited for two offences. Only saw that stiff arm tackle on Ludik.
Mellett’s trip on Lambie was deliberate. Though a ban to him if it is games he will have to wait until next year. With Morne it might cost him a spot on the eoyt if he cops a game ban. Have no idea. But he is badly out of form. He played well against a B Lions side, but against the Sharks he was no where at all. Needs a rest I think. I personally don’t think he should be flyhalf on the eoyt at all. We need to go with the better flyhalf now. Right now it is Lambie. Jantjies too in his last two games was not great. Still think if Meyer does not cop a ban he will get selected by Meyer to start eoyt. I think it is wrong we must move on now.
@ grootblousmile:
You got thet right 😆 now that you know the truth??? did you bliksem outa bed???? 🙄
Justsayin 😆
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