Power to powder blue
12 Oct 2006
Keo, in his News24 column, reminds the Muppits that Saturday’s Currie Cup winner was identified some time ago.
This is what I wrote in my column on September 27:
‘One team of the top five is going to miss out and it is going to be the Lions. Brave and brilliant in the last seven matches, the Lions will curse their early season experiments that cost them easy points. Lesson learned by Eugene Eloff who will not easily again surrender league points to prove a point to his senior players.
‘The Cheetahs will lose in Pretoria on Saturday but still end top of the table, with the Bulls ending second on points difference from Western Province who’ll take the five league points at Newlands. The Sharks will hammer the Falcons to set up another trip to Bloemfontein and a semi-final exit from the competition.
‘The Sharks, my early season call to win the competition, have mixed and matched so much this season that they cost themselves a home semi-final and with that any chance of winning the competition. The Sharks can’t beat the Cheetahs at the moment. In the other semi-final match-up Western Province will travel to Loftus and this time there won’t be an ambush.
‘I’m tipping the Bulls to win on Saturday, win against Province the next week and then travel to Bloemfontein and set the record straight for last season’s defeat to the Cheetahs in the final.’
Are these words, written more than two weeks ago, to be viewed as some sort of prophecy? Absolutely not. Because I also wrote in May that the Waratahs would win the Super 14 and the Wallabies would triumph in the Tri Nations.
Domestically, though, it was always going to be the Bulls once the Sharks started fading through excessive experiment.
That’s why I could write with such conviction on September 27 as to how the Bulls march to the trophy would unfold. It is now October 11 and nothing in my view has changed. I am still backing the Bulls to go to Bloemfontein and win. Individually, they are a better unit and cohesively they have made as much impact as the Cheetahs in the last month.
Take nothing away from Ollie le Roux and Rassie Erasmus. The former, in his role as captain, has been inspirational. The latter is the most exciting thing to happen to the South African coaching scene. He is talented, innovative and definitely not a one season wonder. South Africa rugby is healthier in the coaching department because of Rassie’s emergence.
But if you want to know why the Cheetahs won’t win on Saturday, then you simply have to look at the tight five composition of the Bulls and the kicking game of Derick Hougaard at flyhalf. The tight five will set up the victory for the visitors and Hougaard’s boot will close the deal.
There won’t be much in the final, but all you need to win it is one point.
Statistics favour the Bulls. They’ve lost just one out of their last 10 against the Cheetahs, while winning the last four in Bloemfontein. The defeat happened to be in last year’s final and it took a miraculous comeback and the bounce of the oval ball to sink them.
The surprise element a year ago was with the Cheetahs, but this weekend there won’t be any such tricks in the party packs handed out during the final. The Bulls know exactly what to expect and they are in no doubt as to what they have to do to succeed. This is a victory that will be fashioned on preparation as much as execution and with Heyneke Meyer back from his overseas travels his input is crucial.
Pote Human has settled as Bulls coach, but Meyer’s technical and analytical contribution will be massive to the Bulls success. He remains the Director of Rugby at the Bulls and the man in charge.
The Bulls have been the form team in South African rugby in the last month. They’ve put 50 past the Sharks in Durban, given the Cheetahs 41 points in Pretoria and scored 45 comfortably against Western Province a week ago. They’re scoring tries with ease and Hougaard is kicking well.
Gary Botha’s captaincy has been outstanding and the tight five are fronting for each challenge. The Cheetahs, this season, have thrived on forward domination against most teams. The exception has been when playing the Bulls. That is why they lost in Bloemfontein earlier in the competition, got hammered in Pretoria and will again come second best on Saturday.
The path to the final was recorded here a fortnight ago. And nothing in the last fortnight convinces me to change the call that has the Bulls to win the Cup again.
1,320 Comments
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12 Oct 2006, 16:32 pm
****!
12 Oct 2006, 16:32 pm
lol, amper pieterman.
12 Oct 2006, 16:32 pm
Wolfman, Gregan is the most outspoken of the lot! It is a small man complex thing. Or a **** thing.
12 Oct 2006, 16:32 pm
Well done ou X’ie
12 Oct 2006, 16:33 pm
mind nie om deur ‘n mede bul geklop te word nie X-kreni
12 Oct 2006, 16:33 pm
And honestly I’m not really that outspoken and Ive never been. If the media wants to make hype of everything I say maybe they just know its gonna get aired because of my reputation. Ill back myself, always.
12 Oct 2006, 16:34 pm
X-kreniiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!
Vat vyf!!!!!
Groen en Goud!!!
12 Oct 2006, 16:34 pm
1009
Shuddup already.
12 Oct 2006, 16:34 pm
Laas het ek 999 gekry nou 998. Dit lyk my ek is bietjie vroeg. My vrou kla ook daaroor.
12 Oct 2006, 16:35 pm
sorry 1010 was directed at 1008…
12 Oct 2006, 16:35 pm
Pommie??? 1009??? What you talking in first person for, like you are a captain?
12 Oct 2006, 16:35 pm
Whose posts are being removed?
12 Oct 2006, 16:35 pm
hey manne Luke is ook mos n soutie soos ignore die man soos WALLABIE
12 Oct 2006, 16:36 pm
julle het al die 1 gehoor van hoe erken jy ‘n vrystaatse girl op die strand……. har g-string is agterste voor.
nou **** ek die “cowboys” in die staat dra ook hul g-string agterste voor……………… probleem is, dit pas so om
12 Oct 2006, 16:36 pm
Ja, ek is uit vir 2000. Daai bottel Roodeberg wag
12 Oct 2006, 16:36 pm
Just the counts – i feel very much the same about them and smilies.
12 Oct 2006, 16:36 pm
RedCard, did lyk vir my jy bat soos AB de Villiers – always out in the 90′s!
12 Oct 2006, 16:36 pm
dangerbot
Ek drink elke dag vroeg…..wanneer jy nog slaap……….koffie!!!!!!!!!!!
Verder, ek drink wanneer ek wil!!!
12 Oct 2006, 16:37 pm
quinny, your post referring to 1010 is post 1010
12 Oct 2006, 16:37 pm
Xkreni, jy weet nie van iemand wat te veel KWV wyn geallokeer is nie?
Ek is nogal ‘n groot van.
12 Oct 2006, 16:37 pm
Quinny
Rathbone will need to step up for the centres and this will give him the opportunity to prove he can do something there.
9.giteau, 10.rogers, 12.clyde, 13.turinui, 11.gerard 14. tiqs 15.latham
12 Oct 2006, 16:37 pm
Danger,
Its because Ig is neuking around, deleting posts!
12 Oct 2006, 16:37 pm
*SOrry fan
12 Oct 2006, 16:38 pm
Cheers okes.
12 Oct 2006, 16:39 pm
cheers luke!
12 Oct 2006, 16:39 pm
Red, dit is nou geredelik beskikbaar by Checkers teen tussen 55 en 65 rand ‘n bottel.
12 Oct 2006, 16:39 pm
1016. Ig, if it’s counts then you have to remove 996, 999 and 1001. Which makes me 1000!
12 Oct 2006, 16:39 pm
Wallabie
That’s a backline accomodating all your star backs! But has Clyde ever played inside centre? I remember him as more a number 13, so I’d possibly question his distribution/out of hand kicking unless you’re planning on using him as a crashballer?
12 Oct 2006, 16:40 pm
As jy gelukkig is het hulle specials teen 49. Dan koop ek kaste
12 Oct 2006, 16:40 pm
1018 no sweat pieterman…was just messing with you ito the numbering system.
12 Oct 2006, 16:41 pm
Quinny – u21 – Clyde was the 12 and captain that won the WC….Jean played wing in that team.
12 Oct 2006, 16:41 pm
Pieterman
Vat Vyf virrie Blou!!!!!
12 Oct 2006, 16:41 pm
Ig
en ek sweet my dood hier naby die ewenaar…ek kla nooit weer oor traffice en humidity nie
12 Oct 2006, 16:42 pm
Ig, who was at 13? That was a class team!
12 Oct 2006, 16:42 pm
the only thing clyde could do at inside centre is crash ball. his distribution is very poor. hence being shifted to wing. he’s quick but has no step. and certainly cant kick well.
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
Clyde also played 12 for the Sharks when he was 19 years old…
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
Aaaah…. thanks Ig. And for sorting out Fanta Orange.
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
Xkrenie. Dis nie te vrot nie.
Ek het begin rooiwyn drink is 1995/6 toe ek nog lekker nat agter die ore was.
Die girl met wie ek uitgegaan het se ouers het alewig tonne wyn van KWV gekry. Hulle het my gevra om te kom help ‘uitdun’.
Ons het vroeg in Jan ’96 begin om al die voorraad wat hulle nog gehad het elke aan uit te drink, bietjie vir bietjie. Begin by die 1979 oesjaar en oor 4 weke leeg gemaak tot en met 1989.
Die beste (en dronkste) 4 weke van my lewe!
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
wasn’t jorrie muller 13?
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
1036
Was it 12? I thought he played outside Halstead at 13?!
12 Oct 2006, 16:43 pm
quinny
You watch rathbone when he plays he tends to try and run thru evry opposition player he sees.
He is a crash ball player he thinks he is buff enough to take on the world but comes short most times.
12 Oct 2006, 16:44 pm
Heheh Jurgens – have another beer !
Wolf – Jorrie might have been the 13, he was i am sad to say part of that team.
12 Oct 2006, 16:44 pm
KIR, jorrie was at fullback.
Wallabie, that is why he is for ever injured.
12 Oct 2006, 16:45 pm
Dangerbot
Where did you come from bro?? X-kreni and I, we were watching WALLABIE.
Next time let us know you are in, OK?
12 Oct 2006, 16:45 pm
what position did rattle play in the u21′s?
12 Oct 2006, 16:45 pm
Didn’t he play 15?
12 Oct 2006, 16:46 pm
Hello Jurgens
Wat drink ons?
12 Oct 2006, 16:46 pm
Ig, Jorrie was class in those days, I’m not joking!
Believe Willemse was on the wing, with Januarie, and du Preez half-backs, and Swys Swart (RIP-what a tragedy) at 10.
12 Oct 2006, 16:47 pm
another blog gone past 1000 in 2 days.
12 Oct 2006, 16:47 pm
Kan so dink Red. Enige meisie se pa met ‘n kwota in daai tyd sou goud werd wee. Ek het ook daar rond begin rooiwyn drink, toe ek begin groot word.
oor dit was dit net Tequila, bier en Rum.
Mind you nou is dit nog tequila, bier en Rooiwyn.
Die pryse is nie te sleg nie, maar ek kon dit so 5 jaar terug vir baie minder kry.Sommige bottelstore hou ook aan maar teen R 75 +. Ek en my vrou drink elke aand ‘n bottel. Begin met sundowners op die deck
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