ABSA Currie Cup Junior Finals: Blue Bulls Under 19 & Under 21 teams named for Newlands showdowns

Published 22 October 2014 | By grootblousmile

Vodacom Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls Company have released the team sheets for the Under 19 and Under 21 teams for the ABSA Currie Cup Finals at Newlands, Cape Town against the age group sides of DHL Western Province.

Some of the Blue Bulls senior Currie Cup players have been added to the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 team, with Jesse Kriel starting at Centre, Jacques du Plessis at Blindside flank and with Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg on the bench.

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19:

The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 team to face DHL Western Province in the final of the 2014 ABSA Currie Cup Under 19 final has been named, with regular captain Hanro Liebenberg leading the team onto Newlands on Saturday.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls are the current Under 19 champions and also topped the Log standings at the end of regular play.

They outclassed the Cell C Sharks in Pretoria in the one Semi-Final while WP took care of Toyota Free State in Bloemfontein in the other Semi.

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 team to play WP at 12:15 SA Time:15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Jinx Molapo, 13 Jurie Linde, 12 Adrian Maebane, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Dewald Human, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg (Captain), 7 Abongile Nonkontwana, 6 Francois Steyn, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Matthys Basson, 2 Jan van der Merwe, 1 Njubula Gumede
Replacements: 16 Vuyo Khatide, 17 Johan van Wyk, 18 Stefaan Grundelingh, 19 Calvon Allison, 20 Menzi Nhlabathi, 21 Theo Maree, 22 Wyatt Murphy, 23 Attie Louw.

Notes:

Dewald Human (104) scored the most points this season, while Jurie Linde (10) scored the most tries.

Results in 2014:

17 October beat Sharks 43-20 Pretoria (Semi-Final)
10 October beat EP Kings 31-21 (Port Elizabeth)
3 October lose Sharks 7-52 (Durban)
26 September beat Free State 50-25 (Bloemfontein)
20 September beat Leopards 46-24 (Potchefstroom)
6 September beat Golden Lions 37-30 (Pretoria)
30 August beat WP 44-29 (Pretoria)
23 August beat Leopards 52-27 (Pretoria)
16 August lost WP 11-16 (Cape Town)
9 August beat Golden Lions 36-11 (Johannesburg)
1 August lose Free State 11-12 (Pretoria)
19 July beat Sharks 33-18 (Pretoria)
11 July beat EP Kings 29-17 (Pretoria)

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21:

Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup Semi-Finalists Jesse Kriel, Jacques du Plessis and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg will return to Newlands this weekend as members of the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 team that will face DHL Western Province in the final of the ABSA Currie Cup Under 21 Provincial Championship.

The trio formed part of the Blue Bulls team that lost out 31-24 to DHL WP in the senior Semi-Final of the ABSA Currie Cup and their inclusion in the Under 21 team will boost the junior side’s assault on the trophy won by DHL WP in 2013.

Jesse Kriel will start at outside centre and Du Plessis at flank, while Janse van Rensburg will play off the bench.

Another replacement, Roelof Smit, played for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition earlier this year, while flyhalf Joshua Stander also represented the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup.

Coach Nollis Marais named former Junior Springboks captain, Ruan Steenkamp, to lead the team into battle at Newlands.

The Blue Bulls last weekend won their Semi-Final against the Xerox Golden Lions at Loftus Versfeld, while DHL WP, who topped the Log standings after regular play, defeated the Toyota Free State in Cape Town.

“We are up against it, no doubt,” Marais said. “The Province team will have home ground advantage and played some very good rugby this year. Our aim pre-season was to win the final, so we can justify all the hard work and miles put in by giving it our best shot. The experience of Jesse, Jacques and Nico will come in handy and I am keen to see their impact on our effort. It will be a tough assignment, but I honestly believe we can win this.”

Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 team to play WP at 14:00 SA Time: 15 Duncan Matthews, 14 Kefentse Mahlo, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Joshua Stander, 9 Carlo Engelbrecht, 8 Jannes Kirsten, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Ruan Steenkamp (Captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Jan Enslin, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Arno van Wyk, 17 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Roelof Smit, 20 Marquit September, 21 Kobus Marais, 22 Dan Kriel.