Xerox Golden Lions coach Johan Ackermann left his starting line-up unchanged and added Jacques van Rooyen on the substitutes bench for Saturday’s ABSA Currie Cup final against Western Province at Newlands in Cape Town.
The last time Western Province and the Lions met in a Currie Cup final was way back in 1986, when the hosts beat the then Transvaal 22-9 at Newlands.
Kick-off for Saturday’s clash is scheduled for 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
Xerox Golden Lions: 15 Jaco van der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (Captain), 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Schalk van der Merwe
Replacements: 16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Willie Britz, 20 Warwick Tecklenburg, 21 Mark Richards, 22 Harold Vorster.
Phweeeew, WP’s gonna battle in the scrums!
Thing is though, as strong as the Golden Lions scrum is… there will be 10 to 18 scrums in the whole game.
The real battle will be amongst the loosies as well as with both sides playing ball-in-hand rugby… breakdown points will be key.
grootblousmile wrote:
grootblousmile wrote:
Yes, & WP entering the battle with only 3 props vs the Lions’ 4, & 3 loose forwards (2 of which are half-naaitjie lock/loosies) vs the Lions’ 4, & 4 forwards’ reserves vs the 5 of the Lions.
WP obviously has the stronger, fitter, faster pack … of hoe? 🙂
2 @ Angostura:
I honestly do not know how to predict for this game…
Maybe the way the Lions play just suits WP better… and WP wins comfortably…
or
Maybe the Golden Lions monster pack gets the upper hand and strafe WP up front and powers out a win.. or run WP ragged in the last 20 when the WP pack is moeg and sick and sat…
or
Maybe the Golden Lions defences are not good enough to curb the great WP counter-attacks from the back…
or
Maybe the OVERALL game of the Lions and the pace they put on their total game is one too much for WP…
All in all I still think WP are slight favourites at Newlands and on top of it the Golden Lions are not as good away from home as at home. Will be watching with great interest on the weekend, that is for sure!
Tough game for both sides. Lions pack will do the job. Lions will look to set piece dominance. If the WP pack comes with a monster performance and there is parity up front, WP should edge it. However if the Lions get the upper hand up front and the 3 loosies get going, the Lions should win it. Where the Lions will be different to the team that last played at Newlands, they will have a recognised 10. Last time around, Stokkies played no 10, and Warren was on Springbok duty. Just with those 2 players, the Lions will be a different proposition. I say the Lions will win by 7. Definite heart choice.
Cape Town – Western Province coach Allister Coetzee has kept the changes to a minimum for Saturday’s Currie Cup final against Golden Lions at Newlands (17:00 kick-off).
In the only change to the starting XV that beat the Blue Bulls by 31-23 last weekend, fit-again centre Jaco Taute returns in the No 12 jersey to resume his partnership with skipper Juan de Jongh, who will be playing in his 50th match in the blue and white hoops of Western Province.
Michael van der Spuy reverts to the bench for Saturday’s final, where is joined by lock Gerbrandt Grobler, who comes into the match-day squad at the expense of prop Oli Kebble, who played off the bench last weekend.
No 8 Nizaam Carr, who left the field in the first half last week, has been passed fit for the final, with coach Coetzee praising the consistency in selection during the business-end of the Currie Cup.
“We’ve had some tough calls to make, especially last week, but we are fortunate to have not made many changes these past two weeks,” said the WP coach, who will be guiding his team into a third successive final this weekend.
“Jaco is fit and takes his place at inside centre again and we’re fortunate to have a guy like Michael van der Spuy backing him up, with Jaco providing additional back-up given his versatility across the backline.”
WP and the Lions will lock horns for the third time this Currie Cup season, with both teams winning once up until now, but, according to Coetzee, the hosts are looking forward to Saturday’ finals day which will see the WP Under-19, Under-21 and senior teams involved in all three finals on offer.
“It’s a challenge that we’re embracing and that we’re excited about. You can’t ask for more than running out at a packed Newlands. This side has matured well this season and we’re really looking forward to Saturday,” Coetzee told the WP Rugby website.
“The Lions have been a very consistent team this year – in terms of their selection and performances and we’re expecting a ferocious onslaught from them. They play a similar brand to us, so we should be in for a great final.”
Teams:
Western Province:
15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (captain), 12 Jaco Taute, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak
Substitutes: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Brok Harris, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Michael van der Spuy
You called it CharlesM…!
Lion’s looking incredibly strong… Maybe too strong…!
If our forwards can just hold their own… and compete in the lineouts… and our loosies can play outta their skins…
then i will put my faith in cheslin, seabelo and kobus… making some magic to win the game for us…
whichever way it goes… it’s gonna be a heckuvva close game… imo…
go WP… jou lekker ding…!!
Disastrous selection, it does not make any sense, would much rather have a guy like Kwagga coming on if I was a Lion supporter.
All the credit the Lions props (rightfully) deserve for their scrumming powers, they have rarely stood out in open play, now there are 4 of them, if the Lions dont get a early lead going they have no chance IMO
The Lions have taken a part of the game, where they should have the upper hand ALREADY and strengthened that and weakened the part of the game where Pw will have the upper hand… Geez I hope they prove me wrong, but this is LUDIKEROUS.
The South has the superior backs, the North the superior forwards.
The forwards should take it.
MacroBlouBul wrote:
Some might say you are cantankerous 😆
Just kidding:
I might’ve gone with with of 6 forwards (adding Kwagga to the bench, he “mos sommer” runs & scores like a back), and only 1 proper back, but then you would call me ridiculous, eh?
And now for something different:
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/moneyweb-the-money-whisperer/is-tim-noakes-running-a-ponzi-scheme
And here some Freedom Fighting sommer ook:
11 eish
“with with” = “with a bench”
11 @ Angostura:
Just sharing my opinion, the selection is odd.
Hi guys @ ufo:
I was merely hoping that Grobler would be picked ufo !!
I trust that Grobler is used and not only kept on the bench until the last 10 minutes. Unless Carizza has a great game, I’d sub him soon after half-time and move Elstadt or Rhodes to lock with Notshe at flank. Then Grobler can come on for the last 20 minutes at least.
Kebble has only played ± 15 minutes in the semi-final. The problem is obviously if one of the props gets injured early during the game.
As GBS has said at the top, there are around say 15 – 20 scrums per game. I understand where Ackers is coming from with the 2 props on the bench but it seldom happens that the props are replaced at half-time. Therefore the 2 props on the bench will most probably not play more than 30 minutes each. Lions should dominate the scrums in any case IMO and therefore I would have gone with Kwagga as well.
I know the Lions have played really well against the Sharks but the defence of the Sharks was really not on par.
I have to admit I’m quite nervous about Saturday. I guess one or 2 moments of brilliance and or moments of “madness” (read: yellow card) may decide the eventual outcome.
@ charlesm:
If two PRO vince props gets injured, it basically serves to nullify the Lions bench.
I don’t imagine PW would do anything on purpose though.
16 @ charlesm:
still a good call bud…
yeah… getting more and more nervous myself too…!!
roll on saturday…!!
MacroBlouBul wrote:
Hopefully not !
I really feel that the during the CC the teams should play with a 23 man squad with 2 props on the bench.
@ ufo: If you say so okay then 😆
@ charlesm:
🙂
Golden Lions Vs Western Province
It will be one of the most exiting Finals yet
To begin with the forwards the WP is Gonna have to step up there game to match the dominance of the Golden lions Side , in the front its going to be a very big battle . The loose Treo of the WP is very well structured and with Carr recovering to No 8 luckily I think they have a very Stable pack of Loosies ,on the other Hand the Lions have a very formidable loose Treo with Speed and Strength who you can almost count as and extra 3 Backline Players
I Thing if your compare the front 8 I would take the Lions to be the Dominant Pack
The Backline, the WP definitely has the upper hand when it comes to experience and class , with Jaco and Juan pairing in the Centre positions and then there back three Cheslin Kolbe, Kobus van Wyk ,Seabelo Senatla, they are a very great attacking combination and is also very good with there tactical kicking , For the lions I think the have the favourite in the Flyhalf position with Marnitz who is a very outstanding Playing and can handle pressure very well , the centre combination is also not one to throw away with Mapoe and Minisi . For Me Minisi had one of the best games ever almost every ball he carried he came over the gain line and that is a 10 out of 10 performance form a no 12 for me . the back tree is also very good and should not be taken lightly . Ruan and Jaco is players that is very hard on themselves and has very high standards set for them
If I divide the Teams in Forwards and in Backs and set a Rating I would say Lions will dominate the WP pack definitely
and in the Backline it will go to the WP but if the WP’s forwards are going to have a hard time so will the backs So its a little more Difficult there
I would say end result Golden Lions with 9 Points and will be 2014 Currie Cup Champs
😉
21 @ OldWhiteSox:
Kouse,
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