Louis Strydom taking a pot-shot at goal - Pic: Gallo Images

Cheetahs flyhalf Louis Strydom, who has also donned the Griffons, Blue Bulls and Lions jerseys, will earn his 100th Currie Cup cap in Bloemfontein on Saturday when his side host the Western Province.

The pivot has scored 708 points in his career, 138 conversions, 123 penalties, six drop goals and nine tries in his 99 games to date.

Strydom has been involved in three Currie Cup finals, for the Blue Bulls in 2003, for the Lions in 2007 and in last year’s final he warmed the bench for the Cheetahs.  

The defending champions, the Blue Bulls host the newly promoted Pumas at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night. In the other Friday evening game, the Lions are in Phokeng for their first away match of the competition against the Platinum Leopards at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

SA Under-20 centre Jaco Taute, flyhalf Elton Jantjies and hooker Francois du Toit who represented the Baby Boks at this year’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina, have been named in the Lions 22. Taute has been selected at fullback while Jantjies and Du Toit will warm the bench.  

Meanwhile former Western Province and Ikeys flyhalf Matthew Rosslee, former Waratahs lock Hendrik Roodt, as well as number eight Leon Karemaker, prop Jacobie Adriaanse, winger Rocco Jansen, flanker Gerhard Human, Frikkie Spies and Marnus Hugo will all be making their debuts for the Griquas when they take on the Sharks in Kimberley on Saturday.

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs. Pumas (Friday, 9 July 2010)
Loftus Versfeld. Kick-off: 19:10
Referee: Stuart Berry (SARRA)

Head to Head:

15/07/2006: Blue Bulls 48 Pumas 17, Witbank
08/09/2006: Blue Bulls 66 Pumas 3, Pretoria

• The defending champions have lost only two Currie Cup games in the last two seasons at Loftus Versfeld;
• The Blue Bulls suffered a 29-23 defeat to the Sharks in Pretoria last year and also conceded a 30-27 home defeat to the Lions in 2008;
• The Pumas won all five Absa Currie Cup First Division away games last season, including the promotion & relegation game against the Boland Cavaliers to qualify for the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division;
• In 2008, the Witbank side conceded three away defeats against the Leopards, Eagles and the Bulldogs.

Player/match stats: 

• Blue Bulls hooker Gary Botha who will captain the Pretoria outfit on Friday, also lead the side in the 2006 Currie Cup final;
• John Mametsa has played 130 games for the Bulls since 2002 and has scored 39 Currie Cup tries in his career for the Loftus side. He added 14 tries for the Super 14-side during the 2007 season;
• Gerrit-Jan van Velze captained the successful Blue Bulls side who claimed the Vodacom Cup. He also captained the SA Under-20s in 2008;
• CJ Stander, who captained the Baby Boks at the IRB Junior World Championship, and Danie Faasen could both make their Currie Cup Premier Division debuts off the bench this weekend;
• Pumas winger Alistair Kettledas scored 18 tries in the First Division, just one short of Colin Lloyd’s record of 19 in 2006;
• The Pumas’ Shaun Venter represented the Springbok Sevens during the 2009/2010 IRB Sevens World Series;
• Pumas flyhalf Ricardo Croy is the son of former Western Province League scrumhalf Richard Croy;
• The Pumas’ Hannes Franklin and Jacques Coetzee represented the Auto & General Lions during the 2010 Vodacom Super 14;
• Referee Stuart Berry will handle this Absa Currie Cup game between the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Pumas in Pretoria.

The last time: Dries Scholtz scored a hat trick while Morne Steyn, Marius Delport and Adriaan Strauss each added a brace as the Blue Bulls easily defeated the Pumas 66-3 in Pretoria in 2006.

Platinum Leopards vs. Xerox Lions
Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Kick-off: 19:00
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe

Head to Head:

26/08/2005: Leopards 21 Golden Lions 37, Potchefstroom
16/09/2005: Leopards 27 Golden Lions 44, Johannesburg
25/07/2009: Leopards 19 Golden Lions 40, Rustenburg
11/09/2009: Leopards 13 Golden Lions 31, Johannesburg

• The hosts recorded only one home victory during last year’s Currie Cup Premier Division against the Boland Cavaliers. They also defeated the Eagles during the promotion/ relegation games.
• The Johannesburg side achieved two away wins against the Cavaliers and the Leopards in the Currie Cup competition last season.

Player/match stats:
 
• SA Under-20 centre Jaco Taute, flyhalf Elton Jantjies and hooker Francois du Toit who all represented the Baby Boks at this year’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina. Taute has been selected at fullback while Jantjies and Du Toit will warm the bench;
• Former Springbok and Sharks centre Waylon Murray will make his Lions debut against the Leopards;
• Lions centre Marius Delport will play in his 50th Currie Cup match on Saturday after representing the Blue Bulls in 49 previous games;
• Franco van der Merwe will play in his 50th Absa Currie Cup game for the Lions on Saturday;
• Referee Lourens van der Merwe will handle this Currie Cup match.

The last time: The Lions recorded a 40-19 away victory over the Platinum Leopards when these sides met in Rustenburg last year. Walter Venter scored a brace of tries while Earl Rose, Willem Alberts and Hans van Dyk also added five-pointers.   

Griquas vs. Sharks  
GWK Park, Kimberley. Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Jaco Peyper

Head to Head:

27/08/2005: Griquas 27 Sharks 28, Kimberley
17/09/2005: Griquas 10 Sharks 29, Durban
15/07/2006: Griquas 23 Sharks 22, Kimberley
08/09/2006: Griquas 8, Sharks 60, Durban
14/07/2007: Griquas 20 Sharks 43, Durban
18/08/2007: Griquas 14 Sharks 24, Kimberley
02/08/2008: Griquas 15 Sharks 44, Kimberley
04/10/2008: Griquas 12 Sharks 66, Durban
22/08/2009: Griquas 6 Sharks 41, Durban
10/10/2009: Griquas 30 Sharks 45, Kimberley

• The hosts had a mix season in terms of results in Kimberley during last year’s Currie Cup. They recorded four wins and three defeats at GWK Park including victories over semi-finalists Western Province and finalists Cheetahs;
• The Griquas however suffered home defeats against the Lions and the Blue Bulls.
• The Durban side conceded one away defeat during last year’s Currie Cup against Western Province at Newlands. They were the only team to defeat the Blue Bulls in Pretoria;
• The Sharks lost their first two away games but won their next matches on the road as they claimed the Currie Cup title in 2008.

Player/match stats: 

• Griquas lock Hendrik Roodt and number eight Leon Karemaker have both represented the SA Schools;
• Sharks flanker Jacques Botes will play in his 96th Absa Currie Cup game;
• Griquas flanker Gerhard Human is the son of former Eastern Province and Free State player, and former Blue Bulls coach Pote Human;
• The Sharks’ Patrick Lambie represented the SA Under-20s during this year’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina;
• Griquas flyhalf Naas Olivier, who previously represented Western Province and the Leopards, has scored 539 points in his Currie Cup career;
• The Sharks captain Stephan Terblanche will play in his 89th Absa Currie Cup game;
• Referee Jaco Peyper who officiated at the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship will handle this game.

The last time: Sharks hooker Craig Burden scored two of his side’s seven tries as the Durban outfit comfortably defeated the Griquas in Kimberley.

Free State Cheetahs vs. Western Province
Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein. Kick-off: 17:00
Referee: Marius Jonker

Head to Head:

24/06/2005: Cheetahs 25 WP 22, Bloemfontein
15/10/2005: Cheetahs 16 WP 11, Cape Town
15/07/2006: Cheetahs 13 WP 20, Cape Town
08/09/2006: Cheetahs 28 WP 13, Bloemfontein
28/07/2007: Cheetahs 45 WP 13, Bloemfontein
22/09/2007: Cheetahs 20 WP 34, Cape Town
05/07/2008: Cheetahs 3 WP 9, Cape Town
06/09/2008: Cheetahs 17 WP 35, Bloemfontein
24/07/2009: Cheetahs 13 WP 19, Cape Town
12/09/2009: Cheetahs 33 WP 31 Bloemfontein
   
• The Bloemfontein side won their last five home games in the Currie Cup despite losing their first two games at Vodacom Park during last year’s competition;
• The Cheetahs lost only two home games during the 2008 Absa Currie Cup against Western Province and the Blue Bulls;
• The Cape side achieved three away victories against the Boland Cavaliers, Leopards and Sharks in last year’s Currie Cup;
• In 2008 Western Province recorded two wins on the road against the Cavaliers and the Cheetahs;

Player/match stats:

• Cheetahs flyhalf Louis Strydom will earn his 100th Absa Currie Cup cap;
• Western Province flyhalf Willem de Waal has scored 1213 points in his Currie Cup career;
• SA Sevens star Fabian Juries will who be making his WP debut at wing in the Currie Cup has already scored 50 tries in the competition (Mighty Elephants 39, Free State 7, Griffons 4);
• Springbok flanker Juan Smith has been selected on the bench for the Free State Cheetahs;
• Former SA Under-20 flanker Rynardt Elstadt and flyhalf Lionel Cronjé will both make their debuts for Western Province;
• Referee Marius Jonker also handled the game between these sides at Vodacom Park during last year’s competition