The most successful team in Currie Cup History face up to the seven times winners in Durban this Saturday.
Yes Western Province (WP) have won the Currie Cup on 31 occassions(four draws),that is 24 more titles than the Sharks but the Sharks can boast at winning two of the last four tournaments (appearing in three finals)and WP won their 31st Currie Cup way back in 2001.
Allister Coetzee's men have the arduous task of defeating the table topping Sharks in the Shark Tank. A venue the Sharks have not lost at in the 2012 Currie Cup and they have done the double over WP this season a Shark Tank drubbing(43-27) in round 1 and a close encounter at Newlands (25-23) in Round 2. So I agree with Coetzee's claim that the Sharks are overwhelming favourites, rightfully so.
Coach John Plumtree's men deserve the plaudits they recieving I mean this is the Sharks third consecutive final(granted they lost both the Currie Cup 2011 & Super Rugby 2012 finals). They will be desperate to make it third time lucky especially because this final is at home. Those two final loses is a harsh reminder that the team that has scored the most points come Saturday at 19:00 will be crowned the Currie Cup winners, if you do not win your last match of the season you will be forgotten.
Team News
Plumtree has made no changes to last weeks semi final backline and made four changes up front injecting his forward pack with the experience of the Beast, Alberts and Sykes. Odwa Ndungane also returns on the bench after an injury lay-off, which means prop Chadwick misses out altogether.
Coetzee has gambled on young Damian de Allende at inside centre who will replace Marcel Brache and that is the only change to last weeks starting team with Brache dropping to the bench. Both the Sharks and WP have opted for a 4-3 forwards-backs split on their respective benches.
I agree with what Gavin Rich had to say earlier this week: "Stop Lambie and you have some chance of stopping the Sharks. Fail to stop him and your chances of Currie Cup success aren’t just slipping down a precipitous path into Durban harbour, they’re already sunk 10 metres under the water." He will again be pivital as he was the last time these two met in a Currie Cup Final (2010),and Coetzee bringing the big inside centre has alot to do with Lambie and keeping him honest.
My prediction is the Shark to win it and what might be a surprise to some is I think they could well win by more than 10.
The final kicks off at 17:00. Also available in HD. Team Sheets below.
Jade Christopher Bentley Adams @JCBA
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik 14. JP Pietersen 13. Paul Jordaan12. Tim Whitehead 11. Lwazi Mvovo 10. Patrick Lambie 9. Cobus Reinach 8. Keegan Daniel (captain) 7. Willem Alberts 6. Marcell Coetzee 5. Anton Bresler 4. Steven Sykes 3. Jannie du Plessis 2. Craig Burden 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper 17. Wiehahn Herbst 18. Jandre Marais 19. Jean Deysel 20. Charl McLeod 21. Meyer Bosman 22. Odwa Ndungane
Western Province:
15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Don Armand, 6. Deon Fourie (captain), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Deon Carstens, 17. Brok Harris, 18. Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19. Jebb Sinclair, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Marcel Brache, 22. Joe Pietersen
Yes Western Province (WP) have won the Currie Cup on 31 occassions(four draws),that is 24 more titles than the Sharks but the Sharks can boast at winning two of the last four tournaments (appearing in three finals)and WP won their 31st Currie Cup way back in 2001.
Allister Coetzee's men have the arduous task of defeating the table topping Sharks in the Shark Tank. A venue the Sharks have not lost at in the 2012 Currie Cup and they have done the double over WP this season a Shark Tank drubbing(43-27) in round 1 and a close encounter at Newlands (25-23) in Round 2. So I agree with Coetzee's claim that the Sharks are overwhelming favourites, rightfully so.
Coach John Plumtree's men deserve the plaudits they recieving I mean this is the Sharks third consecutive final(granted they lost both the Currie Cup 2011 & Super Rugby 2012 finals). They will be desperate to make it third time lucky especially because this final is at home. Those two final loses is a harsh reminder that the team that has scored the most points come Saturday at 19:00 will be crowned the Currie Cup winners, if you do not win your last match of the season you will be forgotten.
Team News
Plumtree has made no changes to last weeks semi final backline and made four changes up front injecting his forward pack with the experience of the Beast, Alberts and Sykes. Odwa Ndungane also returns on the bench after an injury lay-off, which means prop Chadwick misses out altogether.
Coetzee has gambled on young Damian de Allende at inside centre who will replace Marcel Brache and that is the only change to last weeks starting team with Brache dropping to the bench. Both the Sharks and WP have opted for a 4-3 forwards-backs split on their respective benches.
I agree with what Gavin Rich had to say earlier this week: "Stop Lambie and you have some chance of stopping the Sharks. Fail to stop him and your chances of Currie Cup success aren’t just slipping down a precipitous path into Durban harbour, they’re already sunk 10 metres under the water." He will again be pivital as he was the last time these two met in a Currie Cup Final (2010),and Coetzee bringing the big inside centre has alot to do with Lambie and keeping him honest.
My prediction is the Shark to win it and what might be a surprise to some is I think they could well win by more than 10.
The final kicks off at 17:00. Also available in HD. Team Sheets below.
Jade Christopher Bentley Adams @JCBA
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik 14. JP Pietersen 13. Paul Jordaan12. Tim Whitehead 11. Lwazi Mvovo 10. Patrick Lambie 9. Cobus Reinach 8. Keegan Daniel (captain) 7. Willem Alberts 6. Marcell Coetzee 5. Anton Bresler 4. Steven Sykes 3. Jannie du Plessis 2. Craig Burden 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16. Kyle Cooper 17. Wiehahn Herbst 18. Jandre Marais 19. Jean Deysel 20. Charl McLeod 21. Meyer Bosman 22. Odwa Ndungane
Western Province:
15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Don Armand, 6. Deon Fourie (captain), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Deon Carstens, 17. Brok Harris, 18. Wilhelm van der Sluys, 19. Jebb Sinclair, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Marcel Brache, 22. Joe Pietersen
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