Fight on for Currie Cup places
2006-02-09 21:38
Pretoria - A thorough mix-up can occur in the Vodacom Cup rugby series this year.
The first matches are to be played on Friday evening, but victories against the major teams will not be as important for these unions who are fighting for inclusion in the Currie Cup series.
The Leopards coach, Jacques Swanepoel said: "A huge shift in emphasis has occurred because you are now involved in two series simultaneously - the first is to fight for championship glory and the other to ensure you qualify for inclusion in the Currie Cup series."
He agrees that matches against the Big Five - the Blue Bulls, the Lions, the Cheetahs, the Wildebeest and Western Province - will lose a lot of glory. What happens in this series will not play a role at all in grabbing one of the two available places in the lucrative Currie Cup.
The Vodacom Cup series this year is also considered as an elimination round to determine who will qualify for Currie Cup participation - either the Leopards, Pumas, Falcons, Griffons, Griquas, Eastern Province, Border, Eagles and Cavaliers.
These nine teams will vie against one another and the two finishing with the most points will get promotion to the Currie Cup where they will join the Big Five and the Southern Spears.
Another points system is applicable to determine which teams will play in the semi-finals.
Play big guns with weakened teams
Pumas coach Chris Grobler said: "This ridiculous situation means you can qualify for the semi-final, but still not be included in the Currie Cup series."
He says a union like the Pumas, who do not even have 30 contracted players, will have no other choice but to play matches against the big guns with weakened teams and even club players and save their best players to qualify for the Currie Cup.
"It's much more important for us to qualify for Currie Cup participation than winning the Vodacom Cup."
Wildebeest coach, Swys de Bruin, says he thinks some of the smaller unions with a realistic chance to play Currie Cup rugby "will use their matches against us and the other big teams as an opportunity to give their key players a chance to rest."
As most of the coaches of the bigger unions, De Bruin considers the Wildebeest squad as a Super 14 reserve source for the Sharks, but thinks the Vodacom Cup series provide an excellent opportunity for the Springboks of tomorrow to get a feel of how it will be to play rugby at senior provincial level.
The Leopards, Griquas, Pumas, Falcons and Cavaliers would probably be the strongest contenders for Currie Cup status.
The series begin on Friday evening with a match between the Cheetahs and Blue Bulls in Bloemfontein. It is the main curtain raiser for the Super 14 clash between the Cheetahs and Bulls.
The Cavaliers play Griquas in Wellington on Saturday, a "repeat" of last year's semi-final. Griquas are the champions.
The fixtures: (home teams first):
Friday evening: Cheetahs v Blue Bulls; Elephants v Western Province.
Saturday: Leopards v Pumas; Griffons v Falcons; Eagles v Wildebeest; Cavaliers v Griquas.