Team Selections CC saemis

To enable us to comment on the possible outcomes I am posting the four teams for Saturday:-

Sharks  vs  Bulls

Sharks

15 Garth April, 14 Jacobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Thomas du Toit.

        
Replacements  :   16 Armand van der Merwe, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Jean Droste, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Tristan Blewett, 23 Odwa Ndungane.

Bulls

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Burger Odendaal (c), 12 JT Jackson, 11 Johnny Kotze, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Nic de Jager, 7 Tim Agaba, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Aston Fortuin/Jannes Kirsten, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Pierre Schoeman

Replacements  : 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Jannes Kirsten/Eli Snyman, 19 Jano Venter, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Tony Jantjies, 22 Duncan Matthews, 23 John-Roy Jenkinson

Western Province  vs  Golden Lions

Western  Province

15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Ruhan Nel, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Kobus van Dyk, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (c), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg

Replacements  :  16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Jan de Klerk, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Werner Kok, 23 Damian Willemse

Golden  Lions

15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 13 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Len Massyn, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen (c)

Replacements  : 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Rhyno Herbst, 20 Marco Jansen van Vuuren, 21 Sylvian Mahuza, 22 Ashlon Davids, 23 Robert Kruger

 

Go Sharks! Go Lions!

Rooinek
I am not so sure about the Sharks,   The Bulls under Mitchell has developed beyond recognition under Mitchell and consequently reached the semi's,  
From what I have seen the Sharks will not have probl;ems in line-outs and scrums - or at least they should not have.   However, in he backline I think the Bulls would have the upper hand.   Matter of fact that if the Bulls played the game they did last Friday I think the Bulls may be the winners in this case.   I have no money in my betting account
I will comment on the WP - Lions game when I have seen the WP team
     

 WP Updated

 Maaik, I'm quite confident the Sharks will win quite comfy, but I worry about my WP. I think they should pull it off, but the Lions are much better with most of their Boks back.

Unfortunately the defensive liability EB Viljoen is back in the team.

 Fortunately the game breaker Viljoen is back in the team - he makes tries happen and he scores tries himself.   Fortunately De Jongh is gone as well - if there ever was a defensive liability it was him and he brought nothing to attacking rugby as well.   

 Rumour has it that Morne is on the bench..

 
Mike ... don't be stupid man ... a quality backline is neutralized when their pack is dominated at the collision ... at the set piece.

They have no quality ball to work with ... no go forward ... unless of course you think that they can win it all on their own and that the engine room plays no part in it.

A rugby match is determined by what happens up front.

If the Bulls are going to win this contest they will have to start up front.

 Sure CC
But the game is in fact played by 15 players.   If the forwards are reasonably competitive and the backline is better then the team with the better backlline will normally win.  
   

There's an old rugby adage that I subscribe to . . . the forwards determine which team wins, the backs determine by how much.

Let's be honest, backs are generally foppish little mincers who are more concerned with making sure their new hairdos are still in place then keeping possession of the ball; while forwards are real men who grunt, sweat and work hard to win the ball only to see the pansy little backs knock it on or kick it away so the battle weary forwards have to return to the fray to win it back all over again.

 
Yes ... thank you for that ... I didn't realize that there are 15 players on either side.

Being "reasonably competitive" ... ??? Exactly what does that mean? Lose only one in three scrums on their own put in ... lose only 1 in three lineouts ... being stripped of possession at the breakdown only at every other collision ... not being able to win any of the oppositions ball at their set piece ... living on scraps?

In other words ... working with a third less ball than what the opposition is enjoying, right? ... in other words this quality backline of yours (which by the way isn't that much better either) has to produce points with every opportunity they get and that while on the backfoot for most of the match.

As I said ... the pack sets the foundation ... it determines who has quality ball ... who has go forward ... who's attacking the gain line ... who's has a back line on the front foot.

Whoever wins the collision up front will win the match. My moneys on the Sharks.

 I hear ou rooitwit played most of his rugby as ahooker playing out on the wing!
I was impressed by the pace of  Jaco van der Walt, the Lions flyhalf.Mike the guppies and their fans are wetting themselves and you will notice that ou rooitwit the arch chest beating blowhard has been very quiet thus far. HahahahahahahahhahaGo WP and da Bulle!