Finally the Currie Cup is starting and all South African rugby fans have a team to support.

What an interesting season awaits, with the playing field levelled to a great extent with the exclusion of the chosen Springboks not taking part in the Currie Cup until at least the semi-finals.

Who will win this competition? Will the Bulls be able to defend their title successfully?

Here is a quick run-down of the 1st week’s games and how it will most likely pan out.

Games and teams:

Platinum Leopards vs Xerox Lions:

Smaller Union against bigger Union in turmoil… or has the Lions turned the corner?

The Leopards field largely their Vodacom Cup squad but there are very few outstanding stars in the team, with the exception of scrumhalf Michael Bondesio, the nuggety and fiery little fellow.

The Lions on the other hand, for their 1st competion run under John Mitchell… will we see a more complete defensive approach as well as a more diciplined approach than we saw from the same men under Trickie Dickie in the Super 14? Will we see consistency in selection week after week contrary to Muir’s wayward selection criteria?

Only time will tell, but one still feels that the bigger Union has more guns on the field than their smaller counterparts, The Leopards!

Prediction: Lions by at least 20, otherwise it is going to be another season of disappointment for the men from Sodom and Gemorrah!

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Barloworld Toyota Pumas:

The depleted Currie Cup champs against a gritty Pumas team with a few players who have had a taste of Super 14 rugby with the hapless Lions… what can we expect here?

The Blue Bulls still field a surprisingly strong and familiar team, despite 11 players out with the Bokke and with Fourie du Preez out with a long term injury.

The front row is potent, in the locks Flip van der Merwe is a recent Bok but Fudge Mabeta lacks definate quality but luckily Juandre Kruger is on the bench to cover. The loosies feature 2 traditional fetchers, which is a bit of a gamble because the combination might lack in certain departments because of this factor.

An able scrumhalf and the potent Jacques-Louis Potgieter completes the halfback pairing, the centres are a bit iffy and the back 3 is rock solid!

On the other hand the Pumas field a very experimental 15 but they are led by Hannes Franklin from the hooker berth, a player now with considerable Super 14 experience. The Pumas have the ability to frustrate bigger opponents and sometimes to surprise.

Prediction: The Bulls Vodacom team beat the Pumas and now feature an even better side, one can really only see one logical conclusion… Blue Bulls by at least 17.

GWK Griquas vs Sharks:

Griquas at home against a somewhat depleted Sharks side due to national duty. This has often been a recipy for disaster for the Sharks.

Griquas have a number of players back from Super 14 duty…. Sarel Pretorius, Naas Olivier, Riaan Viljoen, Bjorn Basson and Davon Raubenheimer… and suddenly they do not look thin on quality at all. Kwas always play with purpose and resolve and amongst the so-called smaller Unions they harbour the biggest threat.

The Sharks have assembled a very able side, with virually a Super 14 backline (Meyer excluded), able loosies even though Jean Deysel and Willem Alberts are still missing due to injury, a good enforcer lock in Steven Sykes and an overrated No 5 lock in Alistair Hargreaves. Where the Sharks are a bit thin though is in the front row where the whole 1st choice front row is with the Bokke and additionally Bismarck du Plessis is still out due to the neck operation of a couple of monthas ago.

Prediction: The Griquas will give the Sharks a good run for their money but there is too much Super 14 quality in the Sharks to go down… or is there…. Sharks by 10 PLUS.

Vodacom Free State Cheetahs vs Vodacom Western Province:

This surely must be the best match-up of the 1st week in the competition, with a severely depleted WP team due to National duty against a Cheetahs side who largely ran out as the Cheetahs Super 14 squad.

The Cheetahs feature a very competative front 5, very able loosies even though Juan Smith is only on the bench. At scrumhalf Tewis de Bruyn was found wanting in the Super 14, Louis Strudom at flyhalf is an old and average campaigner, Meyer Bosman and Robert Ebersohn comprise an excellent centre combination and Jongi Nokwe and Hennie Daniller are pillars at the back.

On the other hand WP features their regular Super 14 front row, 2 very solid and able locks and a loosie combo who will front up well despite the fact that they’ll miss Schalk Burger and Francois Louw who are with the Bokke.

The backline has to do without 6 regular starters, 4 at the Springboks and with Joe Pietersen and Peter Grant having sought greener pastures overseas. This means that Dewaldt Duvenage is the only remaining Super 14 regular, partnered by the old war horse, Willem de Waal, who is quickly reaching end of the line. The centres are a solid combo and on the wings it will be good to see Frikkie Welsch and Fabian Juries back in attack-mode. The backline is completed by the overrated up-and-under king and perrenial sick note, Conrad Jantjes.

Prediction: Even though the match is at Blingfontein I have to predict in favour of WP, who after all had a stellar season in the Super 14 as the Stormers….. WP by 7 PLUS.