This is the second article in the series of Cheetahs Squad Contenders for Super Rugby 2015.
The Cheetahs have lost the services of a number of players between seasons and the hooker position is one severely affected by the loss of Adriaan Strauss (Bulls) and Hercu Liebenberg (released).
We discuss the players IN the Super Rugby Group, and not all the options beyond that.
In this Article we look at the contenders for HOOKERS in the Toyota Cheetahs 2014 Super Rugby group, and whether they could force their way into Bok contention.
Things are looking rather bleak in the hooker department and in the whole front row for the Cheetahs.
The Contenders:
Name: Ryno Joseph Barnes:
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Barnes started his senior career with Cape Town-based Western Province during the 2006 Vodacom Cup. He made his debut against the Mighty Elephants in Port Elizabeth, coming on as a late substitute. He was promoted to the starting line-up for their next match against the Golden Lions in Cape Town the following week and eventually made a total of 13 appearances for Western Province during the competition.
In 2007, he moved north to East Rand-based side the Falcons. He appeared in all 6 of the Falcons’ matches in the 2007 Vodacom Cup.
He made his debut in the Currie Cup in 2007, coming on as a substitute in the Falcons’ match against Boland Cavaliers in Brakpan. He played in 10 of the Falcons matches during the 2007 Currie Cup Premier Division season.
He established himself as the first choice hooker at the Falcons in 2008, starting all 7 of their matches during the 2008 Vodacom Cup and appearing in all 14 of their matches during the 2008 Currie Cup Premier Division, where the Falcons once again finished bottom of the log, this time losing their Premier Division status in a two-legged play-off against the Leopards.
Barnes, however, continued to play at Premier Division level as he made the move to Kimberley-based side Griquas for the 2009 season. After making 8 starts during the 2009 Vodacom Cup to help Griquas lift the trophy for the 4th time, he was also called up to a Highveld XV that played against the British & Irish Lions during their 2009 tour to South Africa. Barnes scored a first-half try in his side’s spirited 25–37 loss to the touring side. He played in all 14 of Griquas’ matches in the 2009 Currie Cup Premier Division.
His Griquas performances also led to his inclusion in the Cheetahs Super Rugby team for the 2010 Super 14 season. He made his Super Rugby debut off the bench against the Hurricanes in Bloemfontein. His 1st Super Rugby start came in April 2010 when he was included in the run-on side for their match against the Chiefs in Hamilton, eventually making a total of 8 appearances in Super Rugby in 2010 before playing in all 14 Currie Cup Premier Division matched for the 2010 season for Griquas.
2011 saw Barnes once again be a key player for the Cheetahs during the 2011 Super Rugby season, making 13 appearances including a spell during which he started 8 consecutive matches for the side. His record during the 2011 Currie Cup Premier Division was similar to that of 2010, making 14 appearances.
During the 2012 Super Rugby season, Barnes’ involvement was limited to just 1 substitute appearance in their match against the Chiefs in Bloemfontein as Hercú Liebenberg was the preferred back-up choice to Cheetahs first-choice hooker Adriaan Strauss, which led to Barnes being involved more in Griquas’ 2012 Vodacom Cup campaign. He started in 7 of their 8 matches during the competition as they reached the final of the competition. He made a further 9 appearances for Griquas during the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division.
The 2013 Super Rugby season saw Barnes return to the Cheetahs squad as backup to Adriaan Strauss. He was named on the bench for all 17 of their matches (16 regular season matches, plus the Cheetahs’ first ever play-off appearance), but only played off the bench on 8 occasions. He made 9 starts for Griquas during the Currie Cup Premier Division.
Once again used as the main understudy to Strauss during the 2014 Super Rugby season, Barnes made 4 appearances for the Cheetahs – before being released to Griquas to aid their attempt to return to the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division by virtue of winning the 2014 Currie Cup qualification tournament. He played in all 6 matches in the tournament. He played in all 10 matches in the competition (although Martin Bezuidenhout was the regular starting hooker) as Griquas finished 7th in the competition.
Coincidentally, Barnes’ final game for Griquas also turned out to be his 100th match for the side. He came on as a late substitute in the match against the Blue Bulls in Pretoria, but marred the occasion as he was sent off just 4 minutes later for swearing at referee Pro Legoete, as Griquas crashed to a 46–12 defeat.
Barnes joined the Free State Cheetahs for the 2015 season.
Rugby Career:
- 2006: Vodacom Western Province (Vodacom Cup)
- 2007: Valke (Vodacom Cup), Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Qualifiers), Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2008: Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation), Valke (Vodacom Cup), Valke (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2009: GWK Griquas (Vodacom Cup), Royal XV (British & Irish Lions Tour), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsory Friendlies), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2010: Vodacom Cheetahs (Vodacom Super 14), Griquas (Vodacom Cup), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsory Friendlies), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2011: GWK Griquas (Vodacom Cup), Toyota Cheetahs (Vodacom Super Rugby), Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsary Friendlies), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2012: GWK Griquas (Vodacom Cup), Toyota Cheetahs (Vodacom Super Rugby), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2013: GWK Griquas (Vodacom Cup), Toyota Cheetahs (Vodacom Super Rugby), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division), GWk Griquas (ABSa Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation)
- 2014: Toyota Cheetahs (Vodacom Super Rugby), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Qualifiers), GWk Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
Name: Torsten van Jaarsveld:
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He was selected in the Blue Bulls’ Under 18 side for the National Academy Week tournament in 2005. The following year, he made the short move across the Jukskei River to join East Rand-based side the Falcons. He was part of the Under 19 squad for the 2006 Under 19 Provincial Championship and the Under 21 squad for the Under 21 Provincial Championship in 2008.
Van Jaarsveld represented Pretoria-based university side UP Tuks in the inaugural edition of the Varsity Cup in 2008 and made a total of 8 appearances as he helped them to third spot on the log and a semi-final appearance in the competition. He also made in excess of 50 appearances for UP Tuks in the Blue Bulls’ amateur Carlton League.
His first class debut came after he joined Witbank-based side the Pumas for the 2008 Currie Cup First Division. He played off the bench in their 32–24 victory over the Mighty Elephants at the Adcock Stadium in Port Elizabeth, with a second appearance coming against the Leopards in Potchefstroom.
He made a further 3 appearances off the bench during the 2009 Vodacom Cup competition before he established himself as a first-team regular during the 2009 Currie Cup First Division, playing in 11 of their matches during the competition. He made his first start for the Pumas in their 47–12 victory over the Border Bulldogs in East London. However, he broke his leg in their semi-final match against the Mighty Elephants and missed the final and the promotion play-offs, which saw the Pumas promoted to the 2010 Currie Cup Premier Division at the expense of the Boland Cavaliers. However, Van Jaarveld did pick up a personal accolade, winning the Pumas’ Most Promising Player of the Year award.
This proved to only be a minor setback to Van Jaarsveld’s career as he returned 5 months later to play in the 2010 Vodacom Cup, making 6 appearances. He played in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup for the first time in 2010 and, after playing off the bench for the first 4 games, he started in 7 consecutive matches before an ankle injury ruled him out for the remaining matches of the season. After playing a further 6 matches during the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition, he had another full season playing in the Currie Cup Premier Division in 2011, which saw the Pumas being relegated to the First Division after a league restructure saw the Premier Division being reduced from 8 teams to 6.
He played in 8 matches during the 2012 Vodacom Cup as they reached the semi-finals of this competition. He also played in 11 matches of their 2012 Currie Cup First Division season, which saw the Pumas reach the final of the competition.
In a 5-year career at the Pumas, Van Jaarsveld appeared in 73 matches and scored 8 tries.
He joined Bloemfontein-based side the Free State Cheetahs for the 2013 season.
In 2014 he made 6 appearances for the Free State XV in the 2014 Vodacom Cup and made his Super Rugby debut on 26 April 2014 when he played off the bench in their 35–22 victory over South African Conference rivals, the Stormers. 2 More substitute appearances followed before Van Jaarsveld made his first start in the competition against the Sharks.
In July 2014, Free State Cheetahs coach Rory Duncan announced that Van Jaarsveld would captain the side during the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division season.
Other Representative rugby: In 2012, Van Jaarsveld was selected in a SA Barbarians (North) side that faced England during their 2012 tour of South Africa and in October 2014, he was called up to the Namibian national team for the first time prior to their End-Of-Year Tour to Europe.
Rugby Career:
- 2005: Blue Bulls (Under 18 Academy Week)
- 2006: Medicover Valke (ABSA Under 19 Competition)
- 2008: Tuks (FNB Varsity Cup), Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup First Division), Valke (ABSA Under 21 Competition)
- 2009: Pumas (Vodacom Cup), Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsary Friendlies), Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup First Division)
- 2010: Pumas (Vodacom Cup), Barloworld Toyota Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2011: Ford Pumas (Vodacom Cup), Ford Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2012: Ford Pumas (Vodacom Cup), SA Barbarians North (Castle Incoming Tours), Ford Pumas (ABSA Currie Cup First Division)
- 2013: Toyota Cheetahs (Lions Challenge), Toyota Free State XV (Vodacom Cup)
- 2014: Toyota Cheetahs (Vodacom Super Rugby), Toyota Free State XV (Vodacom Cup), Toyota Free State Cheetahs (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
Name: Martin Johannes Bezuidenhout:
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Martin started his provincial career in the junior teams at the Leopards where he represented them in 2005 at the Under 16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week and again in 2007 at the Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week.
In 2008 he joined the Golden Lions and the University of Johannesburg and played Under 19 rugby for the Golden Lions.
He made his senior debut in 2009 for ther Golden Lions in the Vodacom Cup and also played Varsity Cup and Under 21 rugby.
In 2010 Bezuidenhout played Varsity Cup rugby for UJ and eventually played ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division rugby.
Martin Bezuidenhout first played Super Rugby for the MTN Lions in 2011 but was not first choice hooker for his franchise, so he also played some Vodacom Cup rugby between Super Rugby stints and played Currie Cup rugby later in the season.
In 12 it was much the same as in 2011.
In 2013, due to the relegation of his Super Rugby franchise (Lions), he was drafted on loan by the DHL Stormers and played for them in 8 Super Rugby games before returning to the MTN Lions to help them re-qualify for Super Rugby, which they duly did. He also played Currie Cup rugby for the Golden Lions in 2013.
He joined Griquas in 2014 on a one-year deal. In July 2014, he extended his contract until the end of 2015.
Rugby Career:
- 2005: Leopards (Under 16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week)
- 2007: Leopards (Under 18 Coca-Cola Craven Week), South Africa (SA Schools Academy)
- 2008: Golden Lions (ABSA Under 19 Competition)
- 2009: Golden Lions(Vodacom Cup), UJ (FNB Varsity Cup), Golden Lions (ABSA Under 21 Competition)
- 2010: UJ (FNB Varsity Cup), Golden Lions (Vodacom Cup), Golden Lions (ABSA Currie Cup Compulsary Friendlies), Xerox Lions (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2011: MTN Golden Lions (Vodacom Cup), MTN Lions (Vodacom Super Rugby), MTN Golden Lions (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2012: MTN Lions (Vodacom Super Rugby), MTN Golden Lions (Vodacom Cup), MTN Golden Lions (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2013: MTN Lions (Lions Challenge), MTN Golden Lions (Vodacom Cup), DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), MTN Lions (Super Rugby Promotion / Relegation), MTN Golden Lions (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
- 2014: GWK Griquas (Vodacom Cup), GWK Greiquas (ABSA Currie Cup Qualifiers), GWK Griquas (ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division)
Starters:
The Cheetahs have average hookers for their Super Rugby season, which will probably see shared duties between Ryno Barnes and Torsten van Jaarsveld, with a couple of appearances off the bench for Martin Bezuidenhout.
Front row prospects look rather bleak for the Cheetahs in 2015 and all hookers and props will have to step up to make the inadequasies less severe than they appear.
The next Article in the range will deal with the Cheetahs locks.