Currie Cup Final: Bulls v Sharks – Key Battles

Mouth-watering head-to-head battles are set to add crucial and compelling layers to Saturday’s Currie Cup final between the Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

And then there were two. The table-topping Bulls beat the Lions 26-21 in the first semi-final last Saturday to secure home ground advantage for the decider, while the Sharks upset Western Province 19-9 at Newlands to punch their ticket to Pretoria.

The Currie Cup final remains an iconic stage. It’s inspired heroics etched in history, performances that propelled the careers of countless rising stars and cemented legacies of superstars who led their teams to triumph in one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world and a cornerstone of South African sport.

We highlight some key head-to-head battles that’ll have a major bearing on who’ll be crowned champions:

Lizo Gqoboka v Thomas du Toit

Usually, the clash on the other side of the scrum involving Trevor Nyakane and Ox Nche would get our focus, but after what transpired in the semi-finals, this battle – also between two Springboks props – looks set to be more significant. Gqoboka’s selection in the starting line-up last weekend was seen in some circles as somewhat of a gamble as he’d just come back from a lengthy injury-enforced absence. He proved Jake White right with a dominant display against Jannie du Plessis, emasculating the Springbok legend at scrum time, where he earned no less than four penalties.

Du Toit is a technical and powerful scrummager in his own right, not to mention a mobile mountain of a man, tipping the scales at 138kg, which makes his the heaviest Springbok in history along with former lock Rudi “Vleis” Visagie. When the news broke that Steven Kitshoff would miss the semis due to Covid-19 protocols, Du Toit was expected to do a number on replacement Ali Vermaak.

Things went according to script when the Sharks tighthead won a penalty in the first scrum, but he was unable to push on from there and even conceded a couple of penalties. Expect a massive effort from both of these big men as they aim to lay the foundation for victory.

Ruan Nortje v Ruben van Heerden

If the bizarre season has taught us anything, it’s that Nortje is a future Springbok. Being a former Junior Springbok comes with a level of expectation and with it, pressure. Some go on to live the dream of being a full-fledged Springbok, while others, unfortunately, don’t reach their full potential.

Even those that do end up doing big things often require a few years of seasoning in the senior ranks. Nortje has taken to the big league like a duck to water. At 22, he’s manned up physically, ran the lineout exceptionally well and his consistency across Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup has been mightily impressive.

Van Heerden is just one year Nortje’s senior. He’s also an ex-Junior Springbok and represented the South African school’s side prior to that. He’s been one of the unsung heroes of the Sharks over the past two seasons. A well-rounded workhorse, he’s influential in all facets of the game. Dependable and durable, he’s a team man through and through but has an opportunity on Saturday to steal some of his surging opponent’s thunder.

Duane Vermeulen v Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Polar opposites. Both are at the peak of their respective styles and coming off big performances. One of the hallmarks of White’s highly successful coaching career is his insistence on having a destroyer-in-chief at No.8 – an unstoppable behemoth of a back-rower who leaves bodies in his wake.

If the former World Cup-winning Springbok coach could create the perfect eighthman in a lab, he would look exactly like Vermeulen – a 1.93m, 108kg modern-day Viking. He’s ruled like a king and given the Bulls, the hard edge White felt had been lacking. He’s been the central piece of the puzzle around which White plans to build a dynasty.

Notshe, on the other hand, is a fast, athletic, skilful ballplayer. He’s the perfect example of being the link between the forwards and backs as eighthmen have traditionally been described. He’s a strike runner with explosive acceleration and a continuity specialist with his offloading ability. Whether he’ll be allowed to play his free-flowing, roaming game remains to be seen, but he’s a game-breaker of note.

Morné Steyn v Curwin Bosch

Fittingly, the two form flyhalves in South African rugby face-off in the final. The pivotal clash pits the past against the future, a legend who’s seen and done it all against a prodigy determined to take his career to new heights. Whoever prevails will most likely steer their side to the summit in the process and perhaps earn a place in the Springbok squad for the British & Irish Lions series (should it go ahead).

Stalwart Steyn has been the perfect general for the pride of Pretoria. Much like in his prime, the 36-year-old’s produced consistently commanding performances behind a typically big and bruising Bulls pack. His class, experience and tactical proficiency have been invaluable and he reminded what a master of finals rugby he is with a standout semi-final showing.

After lingering doubts that hindered rather than helped his Springbok career, Bosch has proved he’s a true flyhalf this season. The 23-year-old’s steered the Sharks with seniority that belies his age; he’s been ultra-consistent and has rounded off and refined his game equally impressively. His God-given ability to slot kicks from 60m out, like he did in his Man of the Match performance last weekend, makes him particularly dangerous.

If he can cap a cracking campaign with a match-winning performance – similar to his mentor Pat Lambie’s legendary display against Western Province back in 2010 – then surely the once-capped Bosch’s Springbok comeback would be complete.

Stravino Jacobs v Sbu Nkosi

Exciting battles await on the wings, with blue-chippers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Yaw Pence on one side and this fire fight on the other. Former South African schools wing Jacobs seized the opportunity in his first Currie Cup semi-final, scoring a brace and steamrolling a couple of would-be tacklers with his mix of pace and power. The Paarl Gim product put himself on the map with the performance and this clash against the classy Nkosi will reveal where the rising star is in the early stage of his senior career.

Nkosi’s a freak athlete. A phenomenal finisher. He also can create something out of nothing and his work rate is next-level. He boasts strength, size and scintillating speed, but what’s most impressive about the 25-year-old is his insatiable hunger. It enables him to be effective in even the tightest of spaces. He doesn’t simply rely on his power, he fights for every inch with an aggressive, dynamic drive that makes him extremely difficult to bring down.

How Jacobs fronts up on defence against the Springbok speedster is the battle within the battle, while the Bulls flyer will also be targeted with high balls after he was caught out of position by the Lions, which cost his team seven points.

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.