Lions ready for Shark attack

The do or die moment have arrived for the four semi-finalists in 2014 Absa Currie Cup. The knock-out stages will start tomorrow when Xerox Golden Lions and Cell C Sharks met for the first semi-final. The second semi’s will take place between DHL Western Province and Vodacom Blue Bulls.

Match-winning performances must be at the order of the day as they battle it out for places in the final and a shot at the R1,897m winner’s purse.

The Xerox Golden Lions will host the Cell C Sharks in the first semi-final at Ellis Park at 14:30, while DHL Western Province will meet the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Cape Town at 17:00.

The Xerox Golden Lions will be hunting their first final berth since the 2011 season, while the Cell C Sharks will have their sights set on their fifth successive final appearance.
At DHL Newlands, the home team will be determined to secure back-to-back finals and their third successive final berth, but the Vodacom Blue Bulls will be equally determined to advance to the top two as they last featured in the 2009 final.

This combined with the high quality of rugby the teams have delivered this season is expected to pave the way a thrilling round of semi-finals.
In Johannesburg the clash between the Xerox Golden Lions and Cell C Sharks should be gripping as little separates the teams on the log standings. Both sides won seven of their ten round-robin matches this season, but the Xerox Golden Lions’ superior attack earned them seven bonus points for tries and one for losing within seven points, which handed the team a three-point advantage on the log table.

Both teams, however, have been solid on defence this season, which should set the scene for tight encounter. The teams may pay little significance to history, but Xerox Golden Lions have won their last four match-ups against Cell C Sharks at Ellis Park and they will draw confidence from the fact that they remain undefeated at home this season.
The clash in Cape Town between DHL Western Province and the Vodacom Blue Bulls will also be exciting despite the hosts entering the clash as favourites on form and with home ground advantage counting in their favour. Interestingly both teams have conceded 23 tries this season, but DHL Western Province’s attack pushed them ahead on the log as they scored 40 tries to Vodacom Blue Bulls’ 27.

The visitors’, however, will take comfort from the fact that they went down to the Cape side by only five points in their round-robin match in August. That said history favours the home team as the last time they suffered a defeat against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Cape Town was in 2009. DHL Western Province have also lost only one home match this season, and that was last week when they rested several star players against the Cell C Sharks, which should boost their confidence going into the clash.

Team news

Xerox Golden Lions coach Johan Ackermann proved his faith in the team that thrashed the Toyota Free State Cheetahs last week and made only one change to his bench with Springbok Sevens player Kwagga Smith replacing Jacques van Rooyen. Cell C Sharks coach Brad Macleod-Henderson also opted for consistency in selection, with the only change to his starting team being at hooker where Kyle Cooper returns following an injury. This resulted in Monde Hadebe shifting to the bench.

In the DHL Western Province camp coach Allister Coetzee recalled all his key players including captain and centre Juan de Jongh, prop and vice-captain Pat Cilliers, fit-again fullback Cheslin Kolbe and Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla to the starting team. Flank Rynhardt Elstadt was the only survivor from last week’s starting XV. The clash will mark a special milestone for flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, as he will play his 50th match. Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, meanwhile, made three changes to his run-on team with Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard starting at inside centre in place of the injured Burger Odendaal, while Rudy Paige will start at scrumhalf. The only change in the pack was at tighthead prop where Werner Kruger has been selected over Marcel van der Merwe.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division fixtures:

Xerox Golden Lions v Cell C Sharks
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Date: Saturday October 18
Time: 14:30
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Sieg van Staden
TMO: Johan Greeff
TV: SS1
DHL Western Province v Vodacom Blue Bulls
Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Date: Saturday October 18
Time: 17:00
Referee: Pro Legoete
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker, Linston Manuels
TMO: Deon van Blommestein
TV: SS1