WP vs Bulls: How old foes can rekindle their Currie Cup rivalry

CAPE TOWN - IOL Sport rugby scribe, Wynona Louw, highlights three ways old foes WP and Blue Bulls can bring the Currie Cup back to life:

1. Scrum security

For one, just having an actual contest as opposed to a one-sided horror (for the Bulls, that is) would be neat. And the scrums would be a good place to start. I doubt anyone but the Newlands Faithful will want to see the Bulls pack shoved into the tunnel again, because then the game could very well turn into Loftus Part 2. And seeing that Pote Human has shifted Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane to loosehead, it will be interesting to see how he goes against Western Province’s ‘Varkhart’, Wilco Louw. So, basically, a lot is going to be dependent on the scrums, and it will have a big impact on the overall game.

2. Springboks unleashed

While Human has dropped one of his Boks in Jamba Ulengo, instead going for fit-again Duncan Matthews, Province mentor John Dobson has picked all his available Springboks for the north-south showdown. It’s not like the Bulls are low on X-factor, but WP’s pot is at boiling point when it comes to excitement. So, it will be crucial that the Bulls keep the hosts in check (remember, broken play) if they want the match to remain an interesting, it’s-too-early-to-predict-the-outcome kind of one.

3. Don’t let the chances run dry

The weather that the old rivals had to compete in last week was atrocious. In many respects the Bulls can’t be blamed for looking like they were playing on ice, but WP also found themselves in the same stadium and adapted. Good weather is predicted for Cape Town this weekend, so that is one factor both teams need to make full use of if they want to add some punch to the derby.

Here is the #DHLWP team that will run out at 17h00 on Saturday at #DHLNewlands for the North-South Currie Cup semifinal. Tickets available from @Computicket. #wpjoulekkerding #WeStandTogether #TheFaithful pic.twitter.com/rcZBfFI7XY