Team of the Week: WP jou lekka ding
It has been a long time coming, but Western Province produced a sublime all-round performance to dismiss their arch rivals in the most emphatic fashion.
And they were duly rewarded by providing more than half the members of our weekly selection – eight players in our starting XV and another bubbling under.
The Sharks and Griquas, who also produced impressive victories in Round Four, are also well represented.
They have just two players each in the starting XV, but five each in our bubbling under selection.
There are two Free State Cheetahs players and one from the Golden Lions to make up the remainder of the starting XV. The Lions and Cheetahs have another two each bubbling under.
Given the dramatic turnaround of fortunes there are only two players returning from last week – props Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs) and JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week – Round Four:
15 – Willie le Roux (Griquas):
He has consistently produced this season on the Super Rugby stage, so it is no surprise he also shines in the Currie Cup arena.
Bubbling under: Louis Ludik (Sharks)
14 – Odwa Ndungane (Sharks):
Steady, rather than spectacular – but what a rock he is proving to be!
Bubbling under: Jannie Boshoff (Griquas)
13 – JP du Plessis (Western Province):
Where have they been hiding this young man? Oh, yes, in the Under-21 ranks …
Bubbling under: Paul Jordaan (Sharks)
12 – Marcel Brache (Western Province):
He has showed plenty of promise at Varsity Cup and Vodacom Cup level. Now he has announced his arrival on the Currie Cup stage.
Bubbling under: Meyer Bosman (Sharks)
11 – Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs):
Still Rhuling!
Bubbling under: Anthony Volmink (Golden Lions)
10 – Demetri Catrakilis (Western Province):
It is strange that he never got a look-in at Super Rugby level. He is such an exciting prospect.
Bubbling under: Sias Ebersohn (Free State Cheetahs)
9 – Nic Groom (Western Province):
It may have been because of injury, but he came on inside the first quarter and played a starring role – making sure he will be a regular starter for the rest of the season while Dewald Duvenhage recovers from his fractured leg.
Bubbling under: Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs)
8 – Keegan Daniel (Sharks):
He is making sure the Springbok coach, Heyneke Meyer, doesn't forget about him.
Bubbling under: Leon Karemaker (Griquas)
7 – Rynhard Elstadt (Western Province):
Probably his most rounded performance of the season – against a team that featured two Springbok loose forwards.
Bubbling under: Jean Deysel (Sharks)
6 – Deon Fourie (Western Province):
That he played scrumhalf, albeit for a very short while, again showed his incredible range of skills. But it is for those crucial turnovers that he eventually won our vote.
Bubbling under: Marnus Schoeman (Griquas)
5 – Martin Muller (Griquas):
He is becoming a real rock in the Griquas second row and probably not a bad bet if there are injuries in the national team.
Bubbling under: Anton Bresler (Sharks)
4 – Don Armand (Western Province):
He is being groomed as a quality utility forward – a player with the physicality of a 'front of the line-out jumper' and the mobility of a loose forward.
Bubbling under: Rynhardt Landman (Griquas)
3 – Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs):
He has quickly stepped into the gap that was left by WP Nel's departure. No wonder the Bulls are so keen to get him in Pretoria.
Bubbling under: CJ van der Linde (Golden Lions)
2 – Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province):
His first start in the Currie Cup competition – it is called grabbing your opportunity with both hands!
Bubbling under: Ryno Barnes (Griquas)
1 – JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions):
If only the rest of the Lions had followed their captain's example.
Bubbling under: Deon Carstens (Western Province)
Our individual selections!
Michael de Vries XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Paul Dobson XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 François Brummer, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Don Armand, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Leonard Kaplan XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Don Armand, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Deon Carstens.
Jan de Koning XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Marcel Brache, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Keegan Daniel 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Don Armand, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Previous selections:
Team of the Week – Round Three: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Johann Sadie (Blue Bulls), 12 Butch James (Golden Lions), 11 Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls), 10 Elton Jantjies (Golden Lions), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 Duane Vermeulen (Western Province), 7 CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), 6 Frans Viljoen (Free State Cheetahs), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 4 Rynhard Landman (Griquas), 3 Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs), 2 Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week – Round Two: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Marcel Brache (Western Province), 11 S'bura Sithole (Sharks), 10 Riaan Viljoen (Sharks), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), 7 Jean Deysel (Sharks), 6 Wesley Wilkins (Griquas), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 4 Andries Ferreira (Free State Cheetahs), 3 Jacobie Adriaanse (Golden Lions), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week – Round One: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Waylon Murray (Golden Lions), 11 Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs), 10 Butch James (Golden Lions), 9 Cobus Reinach (Sharks), 8 Derick Minnie (Golden Lions), 7 Arno Botha (Blue Bulls), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Golden Lions), 5 Martin Muller (Griquas), 4 Hendrik Roodt (Golden Lions), 3 Lourens Adriaanse (Griquas), 2 Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
