The Blue Bulls won’t repeat the mistake of underestimating the Cheetahs when they meet the champions in a Currie Cup semi-final at Loftus Versfeld here on Saturday.
Morris Gilbert reports in Beeld that three years ago, the Bulls were favoured to retain the Currie Cup, but they lost the final when the bounce of the ball enabled substitute Meyer Bosman to score a dramatic match-winning try for the Cheetahs.
‘Equal chance of winning’
The great rivals have not met in a Currie Cup play-off at Loftus since then, but they clashed in a semi-final in Bloemfontein last year, when the Cheetahs eliminated the Pretoria side.
Earlier this season, the Bulls beat the Cheetahs in the Vodacom Cup final at Loftus, but coach Franse Ludeke says that result and the two victories in the league-phase Currie Cup matches mean “absolutely nothing”.
“It’s silly to talk about favourites in play-off matches,” Ludeke said on Sunday.
“If you’re good enough to reach a semi-final you have at least an equal chance of winning.
“Therefore, there is no way that we’ll underestimate the Cheetahs. Only our best will ensure us of a place in the final.
“The Cheetahs are the defending champions and they know how to handle the magnitude of the moment.”
Ludeke expects all the players in his squad, with one exception, to be available for selection. Wing Akona Ndungane has a groin injury and he won’t be able to play. However, John Mamatsa is a worthy substitute.
Valuable asset
Ludeke can select a team full of stars but it will mean nothing unless every player performs to the best of his ability.
The toughest decision will be to choose between Zane Kirchner and Tiger Mangweni at fullback. Kirchner is the speedier player of the two and more adventurous, but Mangweni’s consistency is a valuable asset.
“We won’t do anything to disrupt the players,” Ludeke said.
“We may make a minor adjustment here and there as we usually do, but we won’t make any major changes to our game plan.”
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Bulls should really take this one. Duel of the dutchmen.
Battle of the boneheads. 😉
The above is said in jest of course.
Collision of clutch plates
Rockspider wrestle. 🙄
@McLovin (Comment 3) :
Okay I will say it in Earnest then.
Battle of the Boneheads!!! 😛
@McLovin (Comment 5) :
Isn’t that what they call dancing? 😳
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) : Oh dear…. 😆
@McLovin (Comment 9) :
Where is ice now? She gave me stick the last time I tuned about wind surfing like that. 😳
Hairyback hustle…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 10) : Some peolpe take their dancing serious… 🙄 😉
@McLovin (Comment 11) :
years ago………… around ’98 i think
Sasha martinengo used to have a “phone in fun topic” on his show in the evenings on 5FM.
His topic the one evening, while I was sitting at the squash court waiting for my partner to arrive for a game, was “Why do men have hairy backs and women don’t?”
Being a hairyback myself (in both senses of the word) I decided to phone in and tune him that it wasn’t a man / women thing but rather an Afrikaans / English thing.
Needless to say that the next few calls were all complaints and insults directed at me. 🙂
These okes should really have a sokkie after the match.
I bet meisiekind won’t struggle to fill his dancecard. 😉
@McLovin (Comment 14) : you looking for a fight? Sure Pienaar will oblige 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : The truth must hurts…. 😆
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Probably blink gedrink by now too… 😉
Apart from ‘soutie’ I can’t really think of any derogatory terms going the other way. 😕
I actually DO expect a bit of fisticuffs in this game.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : Wouldn’t surprise me at all.
@McLovin (Comment 18) :
You seem to have missed the concept 😛
When a soutie wants to give a Clutchplate kak he comes up with new names.
When an Afrikaans ou wants to give an English ou kak, he doesn’t bother with names. He just bliksems him. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : I see….. 😉 😆