The Steval Pumas and Vodacom Blue Bulls will be facing the 2 unbeaten sides in the Vodacom Cup this year, the Xerox Golden Lions and DHL Western Province, when the 4 remaining teams face off in the semi-finals this weekend.
Of these 4, it’s only the Steval Pumas, runners up in 2013, that haven’t won the Vodacom Cup. The Lowvelders caused an upset last weekend when they eliminated the defending champions, GWK Griquas, in their quarter-final in Kimberley.
The Xerox Golden Lions last won the last of their 5 Vodacom Cup titles in 2013, the 3-time champion Vodacom Blue Bulls’ last success was in 2010 and DHL Western Province lifted the trophy for the 1st and only time in 2012.
There will be extra incentive for DHL Western Province when they host the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the 2nd semi-final on Saturday afternoon as they will host the final the next weekend should they progress.
However, should the Capetonians lose their 1st match of the season, the highest-placed team from the North Section will host the final.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls hold the upper hand in knock-out contests between these traditional rivals – they won both (in 2010 by 17 / 6 in Pretoria and in 2009 by 36 / 16, also at home).
In fact, the last time DHL Western Province hosted the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup in Cape Town, was way back in 2001, with the visitors winning easily by 41 / 10.
In total, they’ve met 9 times with the Vodacom Blue Bulls winning 6 and DHL Western Province 3. The Capetonians won the last encounter between these sides, by 16 / 8 in Pretoria in 2011.
The 1st semi-final is on Friday afternoon at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg between the Xerox Golden Lions and the Steval Pumas.
When they met earlier this year, the Johannesburgers won 24 / 16 in Nelspruit, outscoring the Steval Pumas by 3 tries to 1. It was the 16th time these 2 sides had met in the Vodacom Cup, with the Lowvelders having won 9 time and the Xerox Golden Lions 6.
However, the last 5 matches between the Xerox Golden Lions and the Steval Pumas were won by the visiting team. This includes the last play-off encounter between these sides, when the Gautengers comfortably clinched the final in 2013 by 42 / 28 in Nelspruit.
So while the Xerox Golden Lions should be favourites to retain their unbeaten record in 2015, recent history dictates that they should not underestimate the Steval Pumas.
Vodacom Cup – Historic performances:
Xerox Golden Lions:
- Best performance: Champions in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2013
- Performance in 2014: Runners-up (lost to GWK Griquas in the Final, 30 / 6)
DHL Western Province:
- Best performance: Champions in 2012
- Performance in 2014: Lost in quarter-finals (13 / 8 to Steval Pumas)
Vodacom Blue Bulls:
- Best performance: Champions in 2001, 2008 & 2010
- Performance in 2014: Lost in semi-finals (16 / 15 to Xerox Golden Lions)
Steval Pumas:
- Best performance: Runners-up in 2013
- Performance in 2014: Lost in semi-finals (15 / 14 to GWK Griquas)
Semi-Final Fixtures:
Friday 22 May:
Xerox Golden Lions vs Steval Pumas:
- Kick-Off: 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT) – Live on SuperSport 1 & CSN
- Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
- Referee: Francois Pretorius
Saturday 23 May:
DHL Western Province vs Vodacom Blue Bulls:
- Kick-Off: 16:30 SA Time (14:30 GMT) – Live on SuperSport 6
- Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
- Referee: Pro Legoete
Vodacom Cup Previous Winners:
- 1998: GWK Griquas
- 1999: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2000: Toyota Free State Cheetahs
- 2001: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2002: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2003: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2004: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2005: GWK Griquas
- 2006: Hino Valke
- 2007: GWK Griquas
- 2008: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2009: GWK Griquas
- 2010: Vodacom Blue Bulls
- 2011: Pampas XV
- 2012: DHL Western Province
- 2013: Xerox Golden Lions
- 2014: GWK Griquas
Golden Lions team to play against the Steval Pumas:
15. Kobus de Kock
14. Damian Engledoe
13. Stokkies Hanekom
12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg
11. Sampie Mastriet
10. Ashlon Davids
9. Rick Schroeder (c)
8. Ruaan Lerm
7. Ruan Ackermann
6. Steph de Wit
5. MB Lusaseni
4. Bobby de Wee
3. Pieter Scholtz
2. Malcolm Marx
1. Tyson Mulamba
16. Ramone Samueks
17. Clinton Theron
18. JP du Preez
19. Jano Venter
20. Lohan Jacobs
21. Gerdus van der Walt
22. Mark Richards
@ Scrumdown:
Is Boshoff injured?
Glad to see the Pumas won their semi-final: Lions 20/43 Pumas. Now hope we can win tomorrow at Newlands. GO BLUE BULLS!
From Superrugby:
“The Steval Pumas upset the formbook as they booked their place in the Vodacom Cup final thanks to a fine 43-20 (halftime 25-6) win over the Xerox Golden Lions in their semifinal at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Friday.
SCORERS
Xerox Golden Lions – Tries: Damian Engledoe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg: Conversions: Kobus de Kock (2); Penalty: De Kock; Drop goal: Lohan Jacobs.
Steval Pumas – Tries: Bernardo Botha, Lambert Groenewald, Rudi Mathee, Marnus Schoeman (2); Conversions: JC Roos (3); Penalties: Roos (4).”
I know you have to look at the level they are playing at but glad the Pumas seem to be doing well. Thought they may struggle without Jimmy Stonehouse and some of their strong players from last season now with Super rugby teams.
MacroPolo wrote:
Nope, he was dropped from the Vodacom team as well…..I was the only one in my pools who picked the Pumas, jackpot points
nortie wrote:
Boshoff hadn’t played the number of games required before the knockout stage to be allowed to play is what I thought it was.
@ Bullscot:
Boshoff in the wilderness
by Brenden Nel 21 May 2015
Last season he was the talk of the town, and now Springbok flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff can’t even make the Lions’ Vodacom Cup team.
Boshoff, who surprised all last season with some blistering point-scoring form to make the Bok squad, has struggled to recapture that form this season, and has had to play second fiddle to the Emirates Lions’ Elton Jantjies and rising star Jaco van der Walt several times this season.
But the flyhalf received a new blow on Thursday when he was left out of the Xerox Golden Lions Vodacom Cup team to face the Steval Pumas in the semifinals of the competition after guiding his province through a tough quarterfinal against the SWD Eagles.
Boshoff still has a lot to offer, but his kicking form – which has always been his strength – has not been there this season, and he has struggled to maintain the levels of form that the Lions coaching staff have sought of him.
Twice they have given him time off to regroup, but it seems now they feel he may be an option in future at 15, but not currently in his more natural 10 jersey.
Coach Johan Ackermann denied that Boshoff had been relegated, but said it was “a gut feeling” not to include him in either team at the moment.
“Marnitz is still important for us and he knows that. He still has a big role to play for us, he will still get his opportunity and we believe in his potential. The fact is, to us at this stage, we feel that Jaco is a little bit more comfortable at 15, but Bossie has spoken to us and told us he is also comfortable there. We will obviously look at that differently from now on,” Ackermann said.
“Bossie is a match winner and we definitely haven’t chucked him away. Elton is in good form at the moment and it is definitely good for us to give Jaco the exposure because we will need him in the Currie Cup when Elton is not here. Bossie will get enough time to be important as well.
“But for now it is a gut feeling. It is something that you as a coach will always deal with. You have players that are good, and you’re going to play the one and not the other, and hopefully it works for you. You will probably only after the match know if you made the right decision.”
Ackermann also revealed he had talked to Jantjies to calm his outbursts after he was warned by referees to calm down when disputing decisions.
“I’ve spoken to Elton, obviously he is a leader. He has been with the Lions since 2010 so he is one of our most experienced players and he is on our leader group. He is taking leadership on the field as well. But the one thing he needs to control is the fact there will be wrong decisions from officials and not to get too tangled up in that.
“He needs to just get on with the game. He got a bit carried away with the decisions on the weekend and I said to him: “It’s not going to change, we can’t change it. The best thing we can do is focus on the next moment.” He acknowledged that, and said it will be something he will look at.
“It is important to us that he, as a leader, does discuss things with Warren (Whiteley) on the field, especially when something happens on the field. He needs to discuss it with Warren so that Warren can go to the officials and ask for a decision. If they don’t do it, don’t harp on it, carry on.”
But for now Jantjies is the man in the saddle, with Van der Walt just behind him.
How long Boshoff stays in the wilderness is anyone’s guess, but Ackermann is correct in saying he is too good a talent to throw away.
The Lions will hopefully find a way to bring him back to his regular form.
@ Bullscot:
Looks like you had it spot on Bully….
After a disappointing performance against the Highlanders a few weeks ago, Boshoff was dropped to play Vodacom Cup rugby for the Golden Lions last weekend.
Boshoff played well as the Golden Lions beat the SWD Eagles 29-21 in the Vodacom Cup quarter-finals.
However, according to SARU regulations, a player is required to play at least three matches during the Vodacom Cup in order to the picked for the semi-finals and final.
This means Boshoff, who also found no spot on the bench for the Lions’ Super Rugby side, is out in the cold this weekend.
Springbok World Cup ad launch….
http://www.jacarandafm.com/post/springboks-have-launched-their-2015-rwc-campaign/
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