Vodacom Blue BullsWP (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), HandrΓ© Pollard (1)

Teams:

DHL Western Province
Vodacom Blue Bulls
18 October at 17:00
  • Team: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (Captain), 12 Michael van der Spuy, 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 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Alistair Vermaak
  • Replacements: 16 Neil Rautenbach, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 EW Villjoen
  • Team: 15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 HandrΓ© Pollard, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Jono Ross, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann (Captain), 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Dean Greyling
  • Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Wiaan Liebenberg, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Sampie Mastriet, 22 Jesse Kriel

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

624 Responses to Currie Cup Semi-Final: DHL Western Province vs Vodacom Blue Bulls – Live Game Article

  • 571

    Nama wrote:

    At the start of the rugby season, when JL Potgieter was kicking them over from all corners of the field

    Agree, we were really singing his praises , seasons are long.
    But remember we are still waiting for the next Naas.
    The Lions kingpin was also thrown away and ridiculed by Bull supporters. And guess who is laughing or is it roaring, the Lions
    Have a look at the great performers at the Lions, there is quite a few who walked through the Bulls teams.

    Watch how Jono Ross will be another one biting us in our back.

    Jono might just turn out to be another Potgieter in a Waratah jersey.

  • 572

    The irony is as thick as jam on a prisoner’s katkop.

    When some of us WP supporters don’t write our team off we are windgat, not glass half full.

    If we were sullen about our chances, we would probably be lambasted for being glass half empty.

    Not one WP supporter hasn’t given the Lions their due, just because we enjoyed beating the old enemy on Saturday doesn’t change the fact that we will be underdogs in the final.
    Problem here is the old enemies supporters are suur because they lost, as could be seen from the comments throughout the game, so it’s easy to rather have a go at WP than accept that they didn’t deserve to be in the final.

    My glass is half full, and why not? The Lions with their superior team lost 3 lead up games to our 2 losses and we have home field advantage.

    We are still in with a chance, and that’s what counts

  • 573

    @ nortie:
    what a complete generalized whinge. we are not sour because we lost. the loss was expected, but the manner is happened. you yourself were just as vocal about peyper and the sharks at kings park… now suddenly the ref is a factor you immediately write off.

    Win or lose he completely took any enjoyment out of the game and thats why all initialy watch the game isnt it?

  • 574

    Well well well. Lots of barbs being thrown around on RT of late.

    Lions played some breathtaking football at the weekend.

    In comparison the WP – Bulls game was a bit disapointing as a spectacle, but was probably more typical of a semi-final.

    I REALLY hope that Carr makes it for the weekend. I think he’s a great player and will make a difference to Province.

    Likewise Jaco Kriel. Geez. How quick is he for a forward?

    Lastly, I sincerely hope that Pro Legota doesn’t get handed the final to fukc up this weekend.

    That would be a travesty.

    I will have to watch the game in the clubhouse at Durban Country Club, (hopefully) squeezed in between finishing a round and our tour prizegiving.

    GO LIONS.

  • 575

    @ Scrumdown:
    Man if pro gets the final. I would suspect something fishy but I doubt it. When supersports “pro” pw commentators are absolutely dumbfounded for half the game then I doubt SARU would not do anything… then again the problem we face is that saru IS pushing transformation through referees as well. so pro might be there at newlands on the touchline.

    I said after the tv producer tmo “incident” that the crowd plays an exponentially larger role in influencing the referee than the tv producer ever will and we saw clear proof of that this weekend.

  • 576

    @ Scrumdown:
    and congrats to your team, they played some great rugby this weekend. hopefully they can tighten their defense and that the loosies will work really hard when the ball gets turned over because that is where PW will punish you.

  • 577

    573 @ MacroBlouBul:
    Ha ha, you call that a whinge?
    GBS made a huge song and dance about the WP supporters being windgat and grootbek, fact is, the WP supporters have always blogged, win or lose.
    We enjoyed the win, especially because it was over the Bulls, and why not?
    Doesn’t mean we are windgat and expecting to beat the Lions easily, but we have a chance, and that’s what counts.
    Relax now and sit back, there is always next year for the Bulls πŸ˜†

  • 578

    nortie wrote:

    but we have a chance, and that’s what counts.

    More than a chance IMO.

    The Newlands faithfull will make a HUGE difference. Many Lions players playing in their first final, AND the memory of the recent loss down there.

    Hopefully the weather stays fair and allows for a good open game.

    Both teams have some wonderful back line players, and if Carr is fit the back row’s could be quite even as well.

    For me the difference may be the tight forwards’ ability to get involved in OPEN play.

    The Lions’ tight 5 are very active around the park and aren’t afraid of carrying and offloading the ball.

    Nerves are jangling already. At least I’m damn sure my blood is red!

  • 579

    FARK Nemo you can whine like a biatch.

    Whether your glass is half full or half empty your panties are always wet.

    Well I suppose you have nothing better to do.

    πŸ˜†

    @ nortie:
    @ nortie:

  • 580

    @ MacroBlouBul:

    If pro gets the final they should just give the Brokebacks the trophy now and not waste everybodies time.

    πŸ˜†

  • 581

    @ gunther:
    The scary thing is that Im sure his name was already penciled in for the final for the sake of transformation, but Jonker will probably get it.

  • 582

    @ gunther:
    Speaking of whingers…..hello Gunther.
    You make an appointment to deal with your loss?
    Those legs dry yet πŸ˜†
    You took the loss quite hard, don’t worry, there is always next year

  • 583

    @ nortie:

    I expected us to lose so there was nothing to take hard.

    You telling someone else to dry their legs is quite rich.

    Nobody in this blog whinges longer or louder than you.

    Which is why you are still a Korporaal.

    πŸ˜†

  • 584

    @ gunther:

    Do you admit that the 2 best teams in the competition are in the final?

  • 585

    @ robzim:

    Absolutely.

    πŸ˜†

  • 586

    @ gunther:

    Great.

    πŸ™‚

  • 587

    @ robzim:

    Do you think Thelo threatened to sit on Pro at the post match function unless he came to the party?

    πŸ˜†

  • 588

    @ gunther:

    Thelo was so happy at the post match function and he tried to kiss the poor Pro who surely must have wished that he (Thelo) would rather sit on him.

    πŸ™‚

  • 589

    Morning guys. Surely Craig Joubert and Jaco Peyper are 2 of the main candidates for refereeing the final. Had they not been in Australia I’m sure one of them would have been in charge of the WP / Bulls game

  • 590

    Morning all. While I am glad for WP, the ref was appalling. Also, of the 3 games I watched (AB-Oz, Lions-Sharks, WP-Bulls) the WP-Bulls was by far the kakkest of the 3 to watch.

    But . . . Looking forward to the game this weekend! Gonna be a good one.

  • 591

    565 @ MacroBlouBul:
    If your players cannot effectively execute the game plan… and I agree the Blue Bulls kicks were poor.. and it happens every game, then surely you have to move away from THAT kicking game plan… precisely because you do not have the personnel to execute it.

    To continue hoping the players would suddenly start kicking well, is futile!

    Let me explain it maybe in another way…

    We have seen what the Golden Lions are capable of and what WP are capable of, employing a ball-in-hand approach.

    Similarly we have seen what the Springboks are capable of when they move away from a kick-return approach to a ball-in-hand approach against the Wallabies and against the All Blacks… and it has definately worked, the ball-in-hand approach, not true?

    Now we have ONE team in SA left who continues with the kicking approach, even though they also look better when they apply ball-in-hand rugby… our beloved Bulls and Blue Bulls!

    So, what’s the point in staying with the kicking approach?

    I’m not saying you must NEVER kick, but surely it must not be the first and instictive option… which unfortunately it is at this stage!

  • 592

    @ robzim:

    Samoosabreath.

    πŸ˜†

  • 593

    Scrumdown wrote:

    I will have to watch the game in the clubhouse at Durban Country Club, (hopefully) squeezed in between finishing a round and our tour prizegiving.

    GO LIONS.

    Overheard on the golf course last week…

    BB: “They say this new club will add 30 yards to my drive.”
    SD: “Let ‘er rip, Boss!”
    BB: “WHACK!!!”
    SD: “WOW!!!”
    BB: (Later, much later) “Found it! This is the furthest I’ve ever hit it into the rough.”

    SD headed for the 19th…

  • 594

    @ grootblousmile:
    PW have been capable mostly due to their back three who are dangerous in counter attacks, with the cat at flyhalf they look as unimaginative as ever.

    Thats the thing, your not going to play an expansive attacking game with JLP at flyhalf ever, even if Ludeke came out and said, “run it boys!”. JLP will always keep us in touch (well not the last game) but he wont win matches.

    For me our big problems are selection and also the guys do not have any self belief to attack, if you look at a few cases this whole year where we are on attack and the guys just kick it away, no one will convince me that is THE gameplan, no ways.

    Hougaard still had that in him in Wellington, where he just kicked ball away, far removed from the gameplan, what happened at the boks was more of a mindset shift, and that is what the Bulls need as well.

    The players are in two minds now and that may be one of the reasons they are kicking so poorly, back myself? or kick it?

    The bulls need to sort that out, I think Dean Greyling took more ball at flyhalf that JLP this weekend because he wants to play, he is decisive and direct in his approach, I farken loved it, apart from the scrums where some of the time he gets nailed, just because the ref sees that it is Dean he was one of our best players. If all our players can decide what they want to do and back themselves the Bulls will be a new team.

  • 595

    That has also been Pollards success, he goes for it with confidence. so far too much confidence at times if you ask me (kicking for touch, he simply does not have the range at the coast that he does in the highveld, EASY to correct).

  • 596

    For all the “glass half empty” club Bull fans, who were “expecting to lose”, at least your coach is a glass half full club member who deals in the positives πŸ˜†

    Cape Town – In the aftermath of their Currie Cup semi-final defeat to Western Province, Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has highlighted the positives they can take from the season.

    The Bulls season ended on a low note on Saturday when they were beaten 31-23 by their arch-rivals at Newlands.
    The men from Pretoria had gone into the game confident of causing an upset after they appeared to find momentum at the tail-end of the season.

    However, WP were at their counter-attacking best and despite struggling up front for large parts, did enough to exploit numerous mistakes from the Bulls to advance to the final.

    Despite the disappointing end to the season, Ludeke believes there is hope for the future.

    “A number of players put their hands up and the players’ belief in what we’re busy with and trying to achieve, is encouraging,” he told Die Burger.

    “It’s a shame we couldn’t score more tries, because we created a lot of opportunities. We’ll work hard in the off-season on our finishing and being more patient on attack.

    “Deon (Stegmann) has made great strides as captain, our scrum has improved and there was variation in our attack from set pieces.”

    Ludeke was also happy with the way the Bulls fought back to make the semi-finals after a torrid start in the competition, when they lost badly away to the Golden Lions (41-13) and WP (41-17).

  • 597

    My Bulls friend lost his temper and I lost my liver.
    It’s almost Tuesday and no one has made a breakthrough…

  • 598

    @ Gena_ZA:
    Shaaraaaaaap Angry

  • 599

    As iemand wie se bloubul glas halfvol is, hier is die positives wat ek vat oor die Bulle,

    1. Logic
    a. Ludeke is ‘n mens
    b. alle mense gaan eendag dood (hartseer maar waar)
    c. so iewers in die toekoms, dalk eers oor 40 jaar, sal die Bulle wel ‘n nuwe afrigter moet kry ! πŸ˜‰

    2. Hattingh speel al beter, en die jong oukie, Janse van Rensburg lyk ook goed, hopelik kry hy meer speelkans.

    3. Arno is terug volgende jaar, hopelik bly die beserings weg.

    4. Hougie en Pollard kan in ‘n gevaarlike skakelpaar ontwikkel.

    5. Jan en WSS of Jan en Odendaal kan in goeie senterpaar ontwikkel.

    6. Strauss in die voorry gaan ‘n groot verbetering wees.

    7. Met Kriel op heelagter, Pollard op losskakel kan dit net beter gaan.

    Bulle se grootste probleem bly op nr.6. Steggies is nie meer so groot faktor nie, en ek is nie seker of Wiaan die antwoord is nie. Kan Bulle werklik nie ‘n aanbod maak vir Kriel, Minnie of Kwagga wat hul nie kan weerstaan nie ?

    8. Leeus gaan Saterdag die CB wen, so afgelope Saterdag se wen vir WP gaan niks beteken nie. Dit is net die PROvince faktor wat die Leeus kan weghou van die beker ….. ingrype van buite ….

    9. Wat die groter prentjie betref: in die Bulle se maer jare vanaf 2011 tot 2014, het ons darem nog laasjaar in die superrugby semi gespeel, waar Ludeke saam Dewald kop verloor het. In die 4 jaar beker droogte het die ander ‘groot spanne’ van SA nog boggerol eintlik gewen, behalwe ‘n afgewaterde CB hier en daar, en die Piston Cup (konferensiebeker). Die een wat werklik saak maak – supertitel – is dit nog net die Leeus (x1 keer) en die Bulle (x3 keer) wat kan saampraat. En as die Leeus dalk nog ‘n bulslot of twee, asook nog ‘n goeie senter en vleuel bykry, dus meer diepte, dink ek die kans is beter dat hul weer ‘n supertitel gaan wen, as die twee ander choker spanne in SA. πŸ˜€

    So, die ander groot spanne sal vinnig moet ophou choke in superrugby, want met ‘n nuwe afrigtingspan dink ek die Bulle gaan oor so jaar of twee weer die bekers begin huistoe bring.

    Ja, die twee beste spanne is in die CB finaal, geluk. Hopelik met ‘n goeie ref, sal die beste span op die dag wen.

    Maar onthou, soos Arnie gesΓͺ het: The Bulls will be back!

    Superman

    Bulle !

  • 600

    @ Ben-die-Bul:
    haha ons gee die ander spanne 40 jaar kans om in te haal, so nice is ons.

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