WP (25) 31 / 23 (10) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division Semi-Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
*******************
Scorers:
WP:
- Penalties – Demetri Catrakilis (3)
- Drop Goals – Demetri Catrakilis (1)
- Tries – Cheslin Kolbe (2), Nic Groom (1)
- Conversions – Demetri Catrakilis (2)
Blue Bulls:
- Penalties – Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3)
- Drop Goals – 0
- Tries – Dean Greyling (1), Callie Visagie (1)
- Conversions – Jacques-Louis Potgieter (1), Handré Pollard (1)
Teams:
DHL Western Province |
Vodacom Blue Bulls |
| 18 October at 17:00 | |
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Expected weather: Sunny and clear. High of 25, low of 15. Wind 20 km/h
Referee: Lesego Legoete
Assistant Referees: Marius Jonker, Linston Manuels
TMO: Deon van Blommestein
479 @ grootblousmile:
Sharks have poor depth and junior structures.
Once the Bokke and those in Japan are out, they don’t have much to fall back on.
In SR they will again be up there when those players return
481 @ nortie:
I suppose the question for the Sharks is, who will coach them in Super Rugby, because the current crop of coaches are kak!
easy ti forget, but with about ten to go, the sharks were launching @ nortie:
and after 2015 they wont even have bokke to fall back on
easy ti forget, but with about ten to go, the sharks were launching a good effort for a comeback till the lions just shut them out
@ grootblousmile:
Yes GBS IMO Gert’s influence has been huge. He stood just in front of me when the final whistle was blown. He was (and stiil is) a very happy man. He gave a “mini fist pump” at the end.
Gert obviously knows all the players’ strengths and weaknesses – I’m speaking about all age groups – it may sound strange but you can almost feel his presence – he seems to have a very calming influence on the players and coaches.
As a WP supporter I’m so glad that he is back in Cape Town
485 @ charlesm:
I think Gert brought some fresh perspective… and that is what the Bulls also need NOW.
Allister Coetzee was on a road to nowhere alone… and Frans Ludeke is nothing without proper guidance by some folk like Heyneke Meyer and Ian Schwartz.
@ charlesm:
Hi Charles…
Is the ex 1500m star athlete Henning Gericke still involved with the team?
I know Gert brought him in some time ago but not sure if it was only for a short stint.?
482 @ grootblousmile:
Will be interesting to see who they decide to appoint
483 @ MacroBlouBul:
Very true, Du Plessis brothers will leave after the WC.
First thing the new coach must do is appoint Lambie as captain
@ nortie:
duplessis, beast, maybe even Alberts
The league section of the Currie Cup concluded exactly as expected.
And so did the semi finals.
At this stage of the competition no team out- or under performed.
In the premises and considering log positions & semi final results only, likewise one cannot say that any of the coaches did a good or bad job – all of them performed as expected with the talent at their disposal and the draw they received.
This may change in the final.
488 @ nortie:
I do not think Brendan Venter would want back in after how he was discarded in favour of Jake the Snake. (Sharks played great rugby under him last year)
I do not think Brad Macleod-Henderson has what it takes.
Alan Solomons?
Gary Gold? (ook maar ‘n flokken moegoe)
One of the Ex-Sharks players?
Robert du Preez (Leopards coach)?
491 @ grootblousmile:
Option is basically Mitchell.
Gold is still in Japan, will he want to take the job?
Jimmy Stonehouse?
It’s only a very short time before SR starts, so I wonder if they won’t stick with who they have?
GBS absolutely agree about Gert !
I told my friend that Ludeke should move Pollard to 10 after half-time…we know he only did that 20 minutes later. How can you not play the BOK 10 at 10 ? Before the game I have spoken to a few rugby “guys” and they all agreed that it was to WP’s advantage that HP was picked at 10.
@robzim: yes Henning was there! He was there last week too. It seems that he is still fairly involved. Obviously Gert values his input and it helped that the 2 of them have worked together before (at the Boks: RWC 2007)
@ grootblousmile:
Alan solomons might be fired soon
@ nortie:
P.Divvy
Sharks should get P.Divvy
492 @ nortie:
I doubt John Michell will get or take the Sharks job…
491 @ grootblousmile:
Robert du Preez snr, who played scrumhalf for the Blue Bulls, Sharks and Springboks is a Durban boykie by heart (not by origin)… I would not be surprised if he gives up his Leopards job to go coach the Sharks!
I know he was high up in Mr Price at their head office in Durban for long.
@ MacroBlouBul:
Yeah, Divvie, then Jannie won’t be the only guy who talks nonsense anymore….
493 @ charlesm:
It was ludicrous that Frans Ludicrous did not pick Handré Pollard to start at No 10!
I was so unhappy already midweek when the team was named by Ludeke!
@ grootblousmile:
Baie stupid !!
OK fellas, I’m outa here… have a good one!
499/500: en die bestuur en keurders wat hom betaal om sulke besluite te neem is nog meer stupid, eish.
En hulle gaan daarmee voortgaan volgende jaar …
@ Ben-die-Bul:
Ek verstaan jou frustrasie !!
502 @ Ben-die-Bul:
Frans Ludeke is ‘n ou wat verduidelik moet word HOE en WAT om te doen… met ander woorde hy moet ge-guide word… en sy ondersteunende span, wat spelers kontrakteer moet baie sterker wees.
Ek twyfel in sy intelligensie en DURF op sy eie.
What former Springbok coach NICK MALLETT had to say on SuperSport about the past weekend’s Currie Cup semi-finals.
Western Province vs Blue Bulls
‘I think it was a poor game of rugby compared to the first match. The skill levels weren’t great and the referee was poor. His indecisiveness made the players unsure about where they stood.
‘The Bulls tried to play their territory game and it was only right at the end of the game that they showed they can play some good rugby. One just wishes that they’d had the courage to do this throughout the season. Had the Bulls selected Handré Pollard at flyhalf and Jesse Kriel at fullback – two very good youngsters – they would’ve been a lot closer to Western Province at the end of the day. Pollard’s great decision-making skills were lost to the Bulls.
‘Western Province went into this game with Demitri Catrakilis – who is a great tactical, territorial kicker, but he’s not a guy who gets the best out of his backline. Kurt Coleman gets the best out of his backline.
‘So if you’re wanting to play an attacking, ball-in-hand game and make use of Seabelo Senatla and Kobus van Wyk, you’ve got to have a flyhalf that can actually threaten the defence, which Pollard can, Coleman can, Lambie can, Morné Steyn can’t and nor can Catrakilis.’
Golden Lions vs Sharks
‘The Lions are a complete team. They’re very strong in the scrums, they’ve got really good ball-carrying loose forwards, their lineout is operating well, they got a very good halfback pairing who vary the game really well and then they’ve got this offloading game that has been really exciting all season.
‘It’s interesting that their offloading game really started paying off in the final 20 minutes, where the other team just runs out of defensive players. The Sharks just couldn’t wait for the final whistle to blow.’
The final
‘The biggest problem that Province have got heading into the final is that both front rows that the Lions will field – the first-half and second-half front rowers – are all better than the Province front rowers. Province struggled against the Bulls and the Bulls struggled against the Lions. If Province don’t get good scrum ball, and their lineout continues to be a little bit dicey, they have to use every ball that they get to the best of their ability to score tries.
‘You can’t play a territory game and play a set piece to set piece game, unless you’re dominating the set piece.
‘No matter who they pick for the final, they’re not going to beat the Lions by playing a negative, territorial-based strategy. They’re going to have to beat the Lions by exploiting turnover ball to the best of their abilities.
‘Given a good referee, we’re going to see a really good game of rugby. I can’t see the Lions changing the way they play. Province are going to need to counter-attack from the back – hopefully they’ll give Coleman a run – and we’re going to see a fantastic final.’
Bulle speel met 14 man
JLP mis 12 punte met die voet, alles maklike skoppe
Pollard is nie ‘n faktor op senter nie, maar is ons beste losskakel in die land
Pro maak groot blapse, wel na albei kante toe
… en die Bulle verloor met net 8 punte …
Nou dink net wat kan gebeur as die Bulle ‘n bestuur en afrigtingspan kan kry wat begin ………. dink …. en ‘n paar belangrike besluite neem?
Nou daar is ‘n radikale gedagte, of wat ?
Maar ek het ‘n vermoede Maandag is dit weer ‘we take the positives’ en probeer maar volgende jaar weer … met dieselfde spankeuse en dieselfde wedstrydplan ….
ja, met eish 😯
@ Pietman: Nog daar Piet. Don’t honestly know how you manage. That lifestyle is probably close to a self-imposed prison sentence.
nortie wrote:
460
And I thought they were playing a touch rugby,,, 😉
Silly me 😆 😆 😆
reflecting on the games this afternoon, one simple basic tenant of life becomes apparent. Its called self belief. The Lions had it. So die WP. Conversely, the Bulls don’t and the Sharks have lost it. For a while now, the Bulls have not looked like a champion team. The Aura’s gone. That fabulous team of yesteryear is no longer the feared juggernaut it used to be. One can see it. Clearly. The Sharks are fast losing it. Maybe even lost it. Without seeking to become too intellectual about it, I do think there is more to the management of the business that is rugby than sometimes seems apparent. Take the Sharks for example. They were a perfectly well run business until Van Zyl was bulleted and John Smit took over. Ever since that change the business has been mired in controversy of one sort or another. It is now being reflected in the trophy cabinet. Am I wrong to interpret that all is not well in the top echelons of those two franchises/businesses and we should not be surprised at the results on the field of play?
evening all… if anyone’s still around… just back from newlands and forries… been a great afternoon…
very pleased we won… even though… except for a few moments of individual brilliance… we did’t play very well at all… but we won… and i’ll happily take it…
as i said before the game… i could’t believe frans picked hendre at 12… i reckon he handed us the game right there…
505 @ superBul:
thanks for posting nick’s comment super… i obviously missed them… i agree 100 per cent with him…
lion’s the best team on the day… by a country mile… province are gonna have to play out of their skins to stop the lion’s taking the CC… and with our injuries our task may well be nigh impossible… people who watched tv may know what the status of nizaam is… i have no idea… but we need him… although sikhumbuzo played his best game i think i’ve ever seen him play… including his junior games…
agree with nick too about hendre… when he took over things went much better for the bulls… he makes things happen this kid… hendre is one very special player…
tough luck bulls… tough luck sharks…
congratulations lion’s… they have… imo… consistently played the most complete rugby though the season… and the title is their’s to lose… even at newlands…
roll on finals weekend…!!
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