Western Province and the Golden Lions are clearly the two best teams in the Currie Cup this year, having finished first and second on the log respectively.
So, who are the guys that make them tick? Which players do the hard yards?
Building up to Saturday’s final at Newlands, we take a look at the key men on both sides.
Western Province
Rynhardt Elstadt (openside flank)
When Elstadt made his return to action against the Cheetahs after a three-week suspension, he looked well short of a gallop and struggled to get through the game.
But soon he followed it up with a commanding display against the Sharks a week later, and he was back to his absolute best in the semi-final against the Blue Bulls.
WP coach Allister Coetzee said this week that Elstadt had made a remarkable 22 tackles last weekend, but while that number is significant, Coetzee said the “majority was dominant”. That is what makes Elstadt the force that the Lions will have to keep quiet if they hope to run through the WP defence as they have been with the other teams in the Currie Cup.
The 24-year-old is able to stare his opponents down with those sharp green eyes, and puts in massive hits in defence and cleans out rucks with a vengeance.
While he will be careful to maintain his discipline and not give away a yellow card, Elstadt will be relishing the challenge of trying to bring down those fleet-footed Lions loose forwards.
Juan de Jongh (outside centre)
The Western Province captain is well known for his exceptional sidesteps and line-breaking ability, but he acts as the gate-keeper for the Cape side in the backline.
He is able to drive players back in the tackle, no matter how big or small, and his quick feet and speed allows him to shift across easily if needed instead of shooting out of line.
But what has been a telling feature of De Jongh’s defensive game in the Currie Cup has been those astonishing tackles on cover defence.
He has made a number of try-saving tackles while back-tracking to sort out any lapse from a teammate, and he then contests that ball at the breakdown and often wins a penalty close to his own tryline.
The Springbok midfielder has marshalled a young backline superbly this year, especially Jaco Taute and Michael van der Spuy, with Taute in particular having to adjust to his new inside centre position.
Golden Lions
Derick Minnie (blindside flank)
The former skipper of the team loves to carry the ball up and bump defenders out of the way, which is where he uses up most of his energy.
So, his work-rate on defence is not always that high. But when Minnie gets hold of you, you will know it!
He brings the physical presence to the athletic Lions pack, stopping anything that moves around the fringes of the breakdowns and making those cover tackles at the back.
Also, if there is a pushing and shoving contest on the go upfront, expect Minnie to jump in and show exactly just who the boss is, while protecting any of the young cubs who could get into trouble with someone like Elstadt.
But he will have to be on his toes if one of Cheslin Kolbe or Seabelo Senatla runs down his alley.
Lionel Mapoe (outside centre)
The Springbok tourist is a powerhouse No 13, coming in at 1.84m and 101kg, and he uses his big frame to good effect.
It is not so much the quantity of his tackles that you need to look at, but rather the quality of those hits. Mapoe is able to jolt the ball out of an opponent’s hands with the impact he creates in the tackle.
He often lands a big blow early in the game to ensure that the opposing backs are hesitant to run through his channel.
Mapoe has had a few injury problems in recent years, though, so he is not as quick as he used to be when he first caught the eye as a dominant right wing.
So he will have to watch out for opposite number De Jongh’s fancy footwork, as well as organise the backline’s general defence.
Young left wing Courtnall Skosan could possibly be vulnerable against Kobus van Wyk, not to mention Ruan Combrinck having to deal with Seabelo Senatla. - Cape Times