Nelspruit starts weekend of high pressure

They say that a week in rugby can be like a lifetime and that saying has never held truer than it does for this year’s Currie Cup.

With just six games to be played by each team in the league phase, every match can prompt a quantum shift in standing and in outlook of the competing sides. Just look at Western Province, who have a team on paper that should suggest domination of the competition but which after last week’s defeat to the Sharks is now fighting for survival against the Golden Lions.

Well, survival in the sense that the big prize everyone is chasing is the home ground advantage in a semifinal that will boost the struggling coffers of the various unions.

It would be wrong to say you can’t lose games and expect to win the competition, for that is patently untrue. There are just seven competing teams, the top four go through to the playoffs, and if you are good enough you can win by playing away in the knock-outs (WP did that in 2012).

So when we say the pressure is really on this weekend, which constitutes the third round of the domestic competition, we need to specify what the pressure is being applied to. For the Cheetahs and Griquas, who face each other in an appetising central union derby in Bloemfontein, it is about remaining unbeaten and claiming pole position in the race for top spot.

For the Lions, who visit Cape Town, there will be the pressure of knowing they need to improve on their only game so far, the narrow win over the Pumas in Johannesburg, if they want to be competitive in the competition they last won in 2015. For WP, there is the pressure of needing to respond to last week’s defeat for there is an acknowledgement in the group that on paper they are a much better team than the Sharks and can’t continue to under-perform.

Even their opening win over the Blue Bulls wasn’t a great performance and it revolved almost primarily around their strong scrum (with a help from the defence). Last week their defence wasn’t good, their kicking wasn’t good, their tactical application was non-existent so they do have a lot to improve on. And they know that defeat will leave them staring at the prospect of having to travel for the semifinal round, something their bosses won’t like.

They’re playing at Newlands and they have the pack and all-round game to win comfortably against a Lions team that looks very different in the Currie Cup to its incarnation in Super Rugby. But still, there is pressure.

No-one faces more pressure, however, than the two teams playing the Friday night game in Nelspruit. The Bulls were good enough even in defeat to WP two weeks ago to suggest they would be strong challengers, but then they got thumped by the Cheetahs at home. Now, two weeks ago feels like two lifetimes ago.

The Pumas have had an unlucky draw in the sense that they’ve played twice and been away twice. Neither of their losses so far - to the Lions and Griquas - should be regarded as unexpected.

They are always a lot more formidable at home, but the Bulls will go to the lowveld with a level of desperation that should see the quality of the names on paper prevail. But it’s going to be a nervy night for them because the Pumas have done well against them in the past and this is regarded as a derby game by their opponents.

TEAMS, TIMES AND PREDICTIONS

Friday, 26 July

Phakisa Pumas v Vodacom Blue Bulls

Kick-off: 19h15

Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Referee: Egon Seconds

Assistant Referees: Eduan Nel and Johra Botha

TMO: Johan Greeff

TV: SS1

Phakisa Pumas – Devon Williams, Morne Joubert, Ryan Nell (capt), Henko Marais, Etienne Taljaard, Chris Smith, Ashlon Davids, Jeandre Rudolph, Willie Engelbrecht, Francois Kleinhans, Stefan Willemse, Le Roux Roets, Marne Coetzee, Marko Janse van Rensburg, Andrew Beerwinkel. Replacements: Simon Westraadt, De-Jay Terblanche, Hilton Lobberts, Phumzile Maqondwana, Reynier van Rooyen, Kobus Marais, Alwayno Visagie, Morgan Naude.

Vodacom Blue Bulls – Divan Rossouw, Cornal Hendricks, Johnny Kotze, Dylan Sage, Rosko Specman, Marnitz Boshoff, Embrose Papier, Tim Agaba, Marco van Staden, Ruan Steenkamp (capt), Ruan Nortje, Andries Ferreira, Wiehahn Herbst, Jaco Visagie, Simphiwe Matanzima. Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Conraad van Vuuren, Adri Smit, Wihan Vosloo, Andre Warner, Manie Libbok, Jade Stighling.

Prediction: Bulls to win by 8

Saturday, 27 July

Toyota Free State Cheetahs v Tafel Lager Griquas

Kick-off: 15h00

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein

Referee: Jaco Peyper

Assistant Referees: Stephan Geldenhuys and Eon van Zyl

TMO: JJ Wagner

TV: SS1

Toyota Free State Cheetahs – Darron Adonis, William Small-Smith, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Dries Swanepoel, Rabz Maxwane, Tian Schoeman, Tian Meyer (capt), Henco Venter, Abongile Nonkontwana, Junior Pokomela, Walt Steenkamp, Sintu Manjezi, Aranos Coetzee, Joseph Dweba, Ox Nche. Replacements: Jacques du Toit, Charles Marais, Reinach Venter, JP du Preez, Marnus van der Merwe, Gerhard Olivier, Dian Badenhorst, Louis Fouche.

Tafel Lager Griquas – George Whitehead (capt), Ederies Arendse, Eduan Keyter, Andre Swarts, Bjorn Basson, Tinus de Beer, Zak Burger, Neill Jordaan, Sias Koen, Gideon van der Merwe, Johan Momsen, Ian Groenewald, Ewald van der Westhuizen, AJ Le Roux, Khwezi Mona. Replacements: Wilmar Arnoldi, Mox Moxili, Victor Sekekete, Zandre Jordaan, Chriswill September, Michal Haznar, Grant Hermanus, Ruan Kramer.

Prediction:Cheetahs to win by 10

DHL Western Province v Xerox Golden Lions

Kick-off: 17h15

Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town

Referee: Stuart Berry

Assistant Referees: Marius van der Westhuizen and Cwengile Jadezweni

TMO: Shaun Veldsman

TV: SS1

DHL Western Province – Dillyn Leyds, Seabelo Senatla, Ruhan Nel, Dan Kriel, SP Marais, Josh Stander, Paul de Wet, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, JD Schickerling, Ernst van Rhyn, Chris van Zyl (captain), Salmaan Moerat, Carlu Sadie, Scarra Ntubeni, Corne Fourie. Replacements: Chad Solomon, Kwenzo Blose, Wilco Louw, David Meihuizen, Jaco Coetzee, Godlen Masimla, Edwill van der Merwe, Sergeal Petersen.

Xerox Golden Lions – Tyrone Green, Madosh Tambwe, Wandisile Simelane, Jan-Louis la Grange, Stean Pienaar; Shaun Reynolds, Ross Cronje (capt), Hacjivah Dayimani, Vincent Tshituka, Marnus Schoeman, Marvin Orie, Ruben Schoeman, Johannes Jonker, Pieter Jansen, Sti Sithole. Replacements: PJ Botha, Leo Kruger, Jacobie Adriaanse, Wilhelm van der Sluys, James Venter, Len Massyn, Dillon Smit, Manuel Rass.

Prediction: WP to win by more than 15