To Loftus we go for the first Currie Cup game of the weekend.
There’s frankly a massive amount riding on this game for both sides and any though of it being a walk in the park either way is nothing other than crazy talk. In hammering Griquas last week, the Blue Bulls are now back with a sniff of semi-final action, but simply cannot entertain another loss if they’re hoping to beat the Cheetahs to that crucial fourth spot on the log.
The Sharks, on the other hand, have literally no buffer at all at the top of the log, leading Western Province on points difference alone. While they know that whatever the result here, they’ll need to beat Province next week to be sure of top spot (and a potential home final), the Sharks will want their permutations going into next week to be as simple as possible. A win at Loftus and they’re unlikely to need anything more than 4 points at Kings Park next week.
Kick-off at Loftus is at 7:10pm.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Jono Ross (capt), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Marcel van der Merwe
Subs: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Dean Greyling, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Ulrich Beyers, 22 Sampie Mastriet
Sharks: 15 SP Marais, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Tim Whitehead, 12 Heimar Williams, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (capt), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Jacques Botes, 5 Stephan Lewies, 4 Peet Marais, 3 Wiehahn Herbst, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Dale Chadwick
Subs: 16 Monde Hadebe, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Butch James, 22 Louis Ludik
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Back your boytjies !!!!! Sharks all the way freddy give us another masterclass show and heimar show them why you are our future at 12 !!!! Sp marais show them willie le roux has nothing on you
You will be glad to know I backed the Bulls.
Well the losing team also needs supporters
@Morné (Comment 2) : and your reasoning was?
@Morné (Comment 2) : Yay, some one else to back me when I say – Go Bulls!
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
Absolute Bulls desperation. And the fact that this CC is much closer between the teams than we realise.
Dont be so sensitive guys iam not saying it will be easy but i think the sharks will come out on top
@Morné (Comment 6) : fair enough…. they definitely have a lot to play for here
fok, I’m nervous
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
I have no more than 5 points in this either way. This will be an 80 minute battle.
@Morné (Comment 10) : I hope those 5 points are log point – for the Sharks
If the forwards play like they did in their first game at Newlands and the backs play like I know they can, it WILL be a cracker. Otherwise it’s going to be a long night. I hope for the former.
Going to be hard game!!!!!! Go Sharks!!!!!
ouens things are not looking up with da kicks!
We are missing some kicks.
Pollard vs Zeilinga
3 – 6
Looks like its gona be a tight game.
Blood replacement Botes off and Coetzee on
We have got to make the territory count!
Thanks for the score updates DBOY
@The Great Couch Shark (Comment 19) : pleasure mate
er guys….score?
3 – 9
30min
6 – 9
34min
Sounds like a yawn…
Who got the yellow?
what was yellow for?
@Son Of Mayhem (Comment 25) : Jacques Botes
Botes got the yellow, dont know what for though
@Captainsharkboy (Comment 26) : not rolling away quick enough.
6 – 9
Halftime with Sharks still a man down for 5min into the 2nd half
They need to clean up there act we are all over them but we are very sloppy
A bit concerned that different rules apply for sharks. Scrum wheeling is apparently sharks fault regardless of whether we are pushing them back or been pushed back.
We defo look like the stronger side 15 vs 15 tho. Need to sort out the handling in 2nd half
we need to be more clinical, but we should take it
this ref is fucking shocking. Does he know ANY of the laws?
6 – 12
45min
So far my motm Jean Deysel
Herbst, Reinach, Botes, Zeilinga off
Cant watch the game so sw and the radio must suffice
fred was not supposed to go…
Sounds like a bit of niggle in this game
Deysel yellow
Joining maul from side
Is it just me or is the ref biased
We’re going to lose this match due to discipline.
What was up with botes’ yellow card in the 1st half?after how many warnings?and where on the field did the indiscretion take place?
@robdylan (Comment 35) : I completely agree he is bloody useless!!
11 – 12
Venter try
Where the hell did we find this referee? This is absolutely ridiculous!!
13 – 12
How biased is bobby skinstad and warren brosnian – what a couple of douche bags..
@Son Of Mayhem (Comment 43) :bulls need a win …
@Argex (Comment 48) : Deysel was offside. I don’t know what the problem is.
Fuck McLeod….
@klempie (Comment 52) : Have you been watching the whole game? Penalty, yes, but yellow?
Mcleod allegedly stepped on a Bulls players hand. TMO
@Argex (Comment 54) : No I haven’t. But repeated infringements bro…
Radio commentator reckons there’s nothing in it
Haha Keegs.
“Jis!” 
Oh my word….penalty to the bulls..can hear keegan isnt happy with the ref’s decision
I am so sick of bad refs
We need to focus and regroup. They are having ALL the momentum now!
16 – 12
Charl shoudve stayed calm there
@klempie (Comment 56) : I’m not gonna argue with you then. He has been shocking the whole game.
Wow what a run by Charlie…
I’m not convinced McLeod lost that forward…
@Argex (Comment 64) : I’m not saying he hasn’t. But the decision on Deysel was correct. Your reaction was on that decision.
Take the points ouens!
I always feel at ease when Butch is kicking.
16 – 15
71min
@klempie (Comment 67) : I’m still not buying the yellow card decision. My reaction was on that, yes, among other things. But each to his own
we have made it very very difficult for ourselves though in this game!
Nice Odders!
Oh FFS Marais…
Should find touch with a pen kick
SP u twat
Can someone please explain to me what happened in that penalty?
Bloody hell!!!!
WTF is Butch’s obsession with KAK kicks?
Seconds ticking away..couldve been celebrating a butch drop goal by now?
Scrum sharks!
Geeez the okes are pissed with this ref!
Penalty!!!! !!
YES!!! The Sharks’ begging finally pays off.
PLEASE dear LORD!!!
Lucky penalty to us.
And we get to receive the kick off.
16 – 18
James u beauty!!
79min
Now i need to find a nail left to chew
Get the ball!!
Knock on Bulls!!
Sharks win!!!
PHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
How did we win that?
Holy crap that was fortunate.
That was experience that you CANNOT BUY!!!! BUTCH!!!!
Yes yes yes…thanks for the scores..
@Argex (Comment 92) : The ref was shit?
Justice!!!!
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! TAKE THAT YOU BUNCH OF SUPERSPORT BIASED CLOWNS!!!
@Son Of Mayhem (Comment 97) : I agree!!
@Son Of Mayhem (Comment 97) : @RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 98) : Yes and yes!!!
One of the worst referee performances I’ve seen in a long time! I’m going to need a good hour to calm down after that haha
Ouens NOU gaan ek suip!!!
Quite an epic win that with only 14men for 20 mins versus bulls at loftus playing for their cc survival.and to then win that with a pen in the final 2 mins.
Nice 1 Sharks!
@R Hayward (Comment 102) : Geniet hom, ek moet self ‘n kaptein drink vir my senuwees en blood pressure lol..
@klempie (Comment 96) : Hahahaha good one
jeepers, but that was close hey! We literally sneaked it.
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 98) : those clowns were saying this ref was consistent! Constantly carding sharks and not bulls for exactly the same infringements if anything. I don’t like captains talking back to the ref but I think Keegan was totally justified in this case.
Now I SHOUT LIONS!!!!!
Man of the match mr ref … you get your R10 000 for best bulls player ..
OK…Now for Gangster Squad. Cheers lads.
And the sharks u21s also managed a win in the loftus cauldron
well done!
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 111) : Good Day for Black & White!!!
@gregkaos (Comment 107) : I was also wondering where his “consistency” was. Yeah you could see Keegan was amazed and dumbfounded at some of the calls.
Who was motm?radio commentator said he’d give it to jean deysel
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 114) : Jean got it
@klempie (Comment 110) : Enjoy!*
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 115) : So a carded player got the MOTM? That’s a condemnation of the ref if I ever saw one
@vanmartin (Comment 117) : Hahaha true
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 114) : yeah sounds like keegan was turning 50 shades of pale with the ref’s decisions (could even hear him through the radio) against the sharks.good thing the ref got it right
when it mattered
Can someone explain why the Bull’s maul where they broke off at an angle was not truck and trailer?
Congrats. Good luck in the semis.
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 116) : thanks for info!jean deysel is huge for the sharks
@vanmartin (Comment 118) : isnt this his 3rd motm this season?
First time I have seen a player get a yellow for not rolling away 10m from the oppo’s try line. I understand the same in your own 22 is a yellow, but???
@Blue Centurion (Comment 122) : thanks for the sportsmanship shown(thumbs up)
@Bokhoring (Comment 125) : is that what happened?
@Blue Centurion (Comment 121) : Thanx Blue!!
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 122) : No Probs
@50shadesofblackandwhite (Comment 126) : Botes got a yellow for not rolling away in the Bulls 22. Penalty I can understand – yellow??
@Bokhoring (Comment 128) Yeah that was dodgy imo
Refs are totally overdoing the yellow card nowadays. It was meant to stop dangerous play, as well as cynical play when defending in your 22.
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 130) : @Bokhoring (Comment 129) : yes that sounds strange
Suspect the ref got a little flustered because it’s Loftus. Not the first ref it’s happened to (unfortunately)
Poor reffing ! Deysel’s yellow card was a shocking call; showing daylight at the breakdown and entering the maul from the side are two separate facets of play, they don’t cross stack warnings for infringements. Later on Willemse does the exact same thing and gets away with it ultimately. How many times did they scrum in on Herbst and not get blown?
It’s simple ,the ref looked into the crowd and saw those little aryan seuns and his heart went soft
Does anyone else dislike Wynie Strydom as much as I do? He just reminds me of your average joe Bulls supporter ,the kind that like the simple things in life, the kind whose brain cells fight for territory
Who was that other horrible commentator with bobby and warren? That oke that loves wp a lot? Supersport should consider getting new unbiased commentators!!
@gregkaos (Comment 32) : The scrum wheeled so that our loosies are turned against the line and we were supposed to have done that on purpose?
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 134) : Mathew Pierce
@Bokhoring (Comment 120) : Truck and trailor refers to when the players are not bound to the body of the maul by shoulder ,ie it becomes two separate bodies. That maul was fine because the Sharks had made initial contact at set piece.
@Talent (Comment 133) : Yeah Wynie is a real pta character, but you can’t fault his passion lol. Heard this is his last season at the Bulls, not sure if it’s true though.
@Talent (Comment 136) : Ahh yes thats the one thx.
Pine Pienaar looks like a Blues brother
how fitting…
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 139) : yes will be replaced by tim dlulane
Where is Saffex ,wonder if he saw how good Jaque Du Plesis was tonight
@Talent (Comment 140) : Yeah all he need is one of those small black hats hehe
That ref was a smurf if ever I saw one … an abortion of a reffing display. Willemse got away with murder the whole game … if anyone should have got a yellow it was him. Every lineout was squeue. Scrums were a mess … bulls were either pushing early … scrummimg in or deliberately wheeling … at one point the ref said I have never scrummed a day in my life … I expect you guys to sort it out … mr ref … we could tell
@RedSharkUtd82 (Comment 143) : The Blue Bulls blues brothers has a nice ring to it
@Talent (Comment 145) : Haha sure has
@byron (Comment 144) : Thank you! I thought that’s what I heard but I simply couldn’t believe a ref would say that! I eventually decided I had misheard.
Another thing I took serious issue with was how the Bulls players were constantly reffing the game themselves, it’s something I was so relieved Charl had unlearned. Kudos to Keegan for only speaking to the ref once play had ended, even if the ref decided to ignore him for most of the game.
@Talent (Comment 137) : I recall the Boks giving away a penalty for obstruction against the Ozzies at Newlands when 3 players (Louw at the back) peeled off a maul not making contact with the other team. What was different in that case?
@Bokhoring (Comment 148) : Im not sure ,I would have to see the incident to try and make any sense of it.