The under-19 and under-21 Currie Cup competitions are also nearing the playoff stages. Just one round of competition lies ahead with a few final log places still to be decided.
Important to know is that both junior finals are played at the venue of the senior Currie Cup final, meaning that beyond gaining a home semi-final, the destination of the final is beyond their control.
In the under-19’s, the Blue Bulls have cleaned up. They have a perfect record of 11 out of 11 with one to play against the Free State in Bloemfontein. Not even the cutting of several under-19 players during the course of the season swayed their focus. Needless to say the Bulls had secured a home semi berth weeks back.
Paul Anthony in his last season with the Pretoria union before he reunites at the Sharks with CEO John Smit, the man he once mentored at Pretoria Boys High School, finally looks to have made the talent perform to their true potential on the field.
The Lions are almost certain to claim the other under-19 home ground advantage when they take on winless Border. The expected outcome is a bonus-point win for the Lions which will give them in an unassailable second place lead over chasers the Sharks.
Given their team on paper, the Sharks under-19’s have been a surprise package of note. They have been extremely competitive in all 11 games played and last weekend’s close away defeat to the Bulls by 13-23 in spite of numerous injuries, underlined their fighting spirit. They may however look back at a narrow home defeat to the Leopards a week earlier, as the game that cost them home field advantage for the semis. All is however not lost. If the Sharks senior team can regain some form, there is good possibility that the Currie Cup final will take place at Kings Park in Durban, meaning that if the juniors from Durban can get a win against the Lions in Jozi next weekend, they might get to play at home in the final. The Sharks under-19’s play the underachieving Western Province team in Durban this Saturday.
Not for the first time and definitely not for the last either, the Leopards have again punched above their weight at under-19 level. They are enjoying a very successful 2013 season in which they are assured of a semi-final against the Bulls. Their place finish tells two important things, they finished ahead of big unions Western Province and the Free State. The key for the Leopards is to simulate this often achieved under-19 success at under-21 level, where they have found the going considerably tougher.
In the under-21’s it’s Province who have done all the talking. They have secured top spot ahead of a clash in Durban against a Sharks under-21 team who will be desperate to build on their outstanding 35-29 win in Pretoria against the Bulls last weekend. As a result of completing the double against the Bulls (home and away wins), the Sharks swapped places on the log with the Bulls and gained a second place lead of 2-points. A home win for the Sharks will therefore secure a home semi-final. The Bulls travel to Bloemfontein, where they should meet stiff against the Free State who have an outside chance of playoff qualification but their fate rests in the hands of the Lions performing poorly at home to bottom-placed Border. At this stage, expect to see WP host the Lions in a week’s time, with the Sharks needing to pull out all the stops to avoid doing any traveling next week for their playoff against the Bulls.
LOGS
| # | UNDER-19 TEAM | P | W | PTS | # | UNDER-21 TEAM | P | W | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Bulls | 11 | 11 | 51 | 1 | Western Province | 11 | 10 | 49 | |
| 2 | Golden Lions | 11 | 7 | 34 | 2 | Sharks | 11 | 8 | 39 | |
| 3 | Sharks | 11 | 7 | 33 | 3 | Blue Bulls | 11 | 7 | 37 | |
| 4 | Leopards | 12 | 5 | 32 | 4 | Golden Lions | 11 | 6 | 31 | |
| 5 | Western Province | 11 | 4 | 25 | 5 | Free State | 11 | 6 | 29 | |
| 6 | Free State | 11 | 4 | 24 | 6 | Leopards | 12 | 2 | 15 | |
| 7 | Border | 11 | 0 | 1 | 7 | Border | 11 | 0 | 3 |
@Parkie: Parkie ek praat spesifiek van spelers wat vir die O’19s gespeel het. Daar is beslis Paul Roos spelers van hulle Matriek groep van 2011 wat vir die Bulle se O’19s van 2012 gespeel het. Marcus Kleinbooi, Janse Van Rensburg en Pierre Schoeman was in Matriek in 2012 so hulle is beslis nie in die O’19 groep van 2012 nie. Ek sal graag die gekontrakteerde spelers wat vir die BB O’19s gespeel het in 2012 op die blog wil sien sodat ons die debat kan voortsit (sonder drupende sarkasme asb). Ek verstout my om te se daar is veel meer spelers uit die Weskaap vir die Bulle gekontrakteer as vanuit Pretoria(en onthou beide Affies en Kloof het in 2011 uitstaande spanne gehad). As jy ‘n lys van die gekontrakteerde O’19 spelers van 2012 het sit dit op die blog asb. Ek vermoed dit sal my punt staaf dat die Bulle nie lojaal is teenoor hul voederskole nie.
@Tjoppa:
Lol!!!!
@Muzi: If they are my friends I am in love with Malema. Mind you all parties concerned……………………………
@BoishaaiPa: As jy rerig die probleme wil oplos bel my as jy weer in PTown is. Dan stel ek jou aan ‘n heer Jakes voor. Die passie en kennis is onmisbaar. Maar saam hom kuier beslis nie.
@Woltrui: As ek so na Parkie se info kyk het die Bulle regtig baie Affies outjies benadeel!..kyk hoeveel van hulle het BB kontrakte gekry!..Dis beslis nie voordeel om BB kontrak te he nie!
…Grappies op n stokkie..Ek het Dinsdagaand daar in Sandton n baie lang en lekker gesprek met Affies se coach Sakkie gehad…Ons het natuurlik teen laataand oor verskeie wyne al die probleme van jnr rugby opgelos…Volgende dag kon ek net nie lekker onthou wat daai probleme of oplossings was nie!
@Woltrui: Ek wil net die volgende onder jou aandag bring: Die Blou Bulle het geen Paul Roos speler in 2011 gekontrakteer nie,ek daag jou uit om een naam te noem.Verder is die volgende spelers van Affies se 2011 eerste span by die Bulle gekontrakteer:
Marcus Kleinbooi, Carlo Engelbrecht, Paul Janse van Rensburg, Bernie Roux, , Janse van Rensburg, Jannes Kirsten,Dennis Visser, Pierre Schoeman, Vian Riekert
Lyk vir my of die Bulle Affies baie benadeel het!!!Miskien moet jy net feiteliks alles weergee.Party van ons volg ook skole rugby.
@Tjoppa:
I think you should send this message to your friends Werner and Xander……
@Muzi: Ja toe byt jou eie hond jou aan die gat. Unfortunately do not have the English knowledge to translate the above. But must add to the sadness the no 1 u/19 coach in RSA is also leaving, his move to Great White country at the end of the season will also be felt next year. Two years ago the cracks was visible. And now ??? The walls of this once impressive castle is moer toe. And unfortunately no master builder to fix the damages. 7 maer jare is all I can say.
Not sure about the coaching quality of Pine Pienaar and a few others in the Bulls camp at the moment but they do have some good young players on the books. If they can keep this squad together for a couple of seasons and add a few of the good juniors coming through like Jesse Kriel, JP Smith and Hercus van Wyk to the mix, the Bulls could have an unstoppable team on paper. Maybe just need to look at coaching structures and team strategies a little more closely now. Even Meyer seems to be learning from his 2012 mistakes (slowly)
@Woltrui:
Ryno and Steven were going to be considered first by the Bulls if they were the next ‘big things’……they signed for WP because they were not going to get enough game time.
@Woltrui:
That’s fair enough I get what you’re saying but is Ryno Eksteen a better flyhalf than Handre Pollard,Joshua Stander or Kobus Marais?.
Bulls only want the best schoolboy players in each positions regardless of which province they represent in this case Ryno was 4th choice.
Same goes for Steven Meiring…..I’d rather sign Chris Massyn,Corne Cooper and Carel Swart because I believe all three loose forwards have more potential.
@Woltrui: I’m inclined to agree with you there. Think the Bulls considered other loose forwards and flyhalves before they considered them.
@Muzi: Why did Ryno and Steven turn down offers from the Bulls Musi? Is it not because every school boy player in the country got a contract from the Bulls before they were considered? If they were your kids. Wouldnt you have adviced them to go to another Union?
@Woltrui:
It’s the new professional era get used to it…..Justin Phillips,Ryno Eksteen and Steven Meiring turned down offers from the Bulls.
@Woltrui:
It’s the new professional era get used to it…..Justin Phillips,Ryno Eksteen and Steven Meiring turned down offers from the Bulls.
Eish. Ek post sulke laaaang opstelle deur maar boggerol verskyn op die blog. Probeer maar weer. Die tyd vir Bull shit is verby hier in die Noorde. ‘n Week of twee gelede was daar ‘n artikel waarin beweer is die Bulle is lojaal teenoor hul voederskole. Daar is verwys na statistiek tov die huidige O’19 groep. Wonderlik. Hoe lyk die statistiek tov die O’19s in 2012, 11, 10 en 09? Die statistiek sal aandui hoe onlojaal die Bulle se kontrakteurs inderwerklikheid is. Ongelukkig het Mnr Z Janse Van Rensburg, in my opinie, sy rug op die hoof voederskool van die Bulle in Pretoria, te wete Affies, gedraai. Toevallig was dit in die tyd toe die “skole politiek” tussen Affies en Kloof hoogdy gevier het en die skole nie teen mekaar gekompiteer het nie. Is die rug die Affies seuns toegekeer omrede Mnr Van Rensburg, ‘n oud Klofie skolier, hom nie met die Affie seuns kon vereenselwig nie?? As voorbeeld die volgende voorval. In 2011 speel Affies teen Paul Roos by St Johns. Alhoewel die telling dit nie aandui het Affies die wedstryd totaal gedomineer. Aan die einde van die seisoen word meer Paul Roos spelers as Affies spelers vir die Bulle gekontrakteur. Hoekom het Ryno Eksteen en Steven Meiring nie kontrakte by die Bulle aanvaar nie. Moontlik omrede elke hiert jy agterspeler en voorspeler in die land ‘n kontrak aangebied is alvorens daar na hulle gekyk is. Moenie ons Bullshit deur te noem hulle het eers na O’16 vlak begin presteer. By Affies het die tannie in die kantoor geweet hoe goed die 2 spelers was, van O’15 al af. Iemand het natuurlik nie na Affies se wedstryde gaan kyk nie. Mos pokken lekkerder in Durbs en die Kaap.
Onglukkig kon die onlojale en swak administrateurs wegkruip agter Mnr Heyeneke Meyer se sukses by die Bulle. Wegkruip plek is daar nou nie meer. Bul ondersteuners wil nie meer belieg word nie.
Die Blou Bul ondersteuners in Pretoria wil nie die O/19’s titel wen nie. Ons wou die Curriebeker wen. Vir ons as deurwinterde ondersteuners is die CB die Alfa en Omega. Die Super rugby titel, O’19’s of O’21s is ‘n Bonus. Ongelukkig is daar ‘n groot gaping tussen die Bulle se bestuur en ondersteuners. Die ondrsteuners is moeg van verskonings van onervare spelers ens, ens ens. Die volgende vrae tov die stand van Bulle rugby:
-Wie was verantwoordelik dat ‘n onervare afrigter die span in die CB lei?
-Wie is verantwoordelik vir die kontrakteuring van spelers en dus verantwoordelik dat die Bulle met kinders teen geharde spelers in die CB kompiteer?
-Is daar enige iemand in die Bulle se bestuur wat besluite kan neem wat ons uit die moeras kan lei?
Ons beny die Sharks vir ‘n John Smit wat ‘n besluit kan nee. Ongelukkig blykbaar nie so ‘n leier by die Bulle nie. Laasjaar was dieselfde verskoning van onervare spelers gebruik in die CB reeks. Die onervare spelers wie se kontrakte opgegee is gee ons nou pakslae (bv Marnitz Boshoff).
I watched the Bulls under 21’s not that convincing at all…..solid scrums and line outs the only positives…..Swanepoel the only decent backline player wings and the full back average…..Nollis team lacks special players at the moment…at least we will get Wiaan,WSS,Du Plessis and co for the semi final.
I think history is repeating itself….remember the Bulls under 19’s captained by William Small Smith in 2011 were unbeaten the whole season only to choke in the final against the lions side led by Ruan Botha and Paul Willemse….anything can still happen.
Bulls under 19’s have a tendency of peaking too early…..just saying.
Verstaan nie die WP se u19 afrigterspan nie. Sou lankal die Gim ysters van die jaar nader getrek het om die lot uit te help. Goed om te sien ons u21s doen so goed. Lyk belowend vir die toekoms.
Great to see Schramm playing no.8 for he U19 side……as predicted a great future ahead of him. Would be great to see the Du preezs teaming up with him.