With the action-packed Currie Cup producing over 300 tries, selecting the top 20 was no easy feat, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
Defence took a backseat in the fast and furious 2021 season of the oldest domestic rugby competition in the world. High-scoring shootouts were the order of the day throughout the tournament as the seven teams pushed the pace and the envelope in the race toward South African rugby supremacy.
No less than 301 tries were scored, the Bulls scoring six of the last seven in their 44-10 dismantling of the Sharks in last Saturday’s final at Loftus Versfeld to successfully defend their title.
From solo sorcery to tremendous teamwork, here’s my selection of the 20 best tries of the tournament…
20: Peacock ‘eier’
It had been some time since we last saw an eier as it’s known in Afrikaans primary school circles in a top-flight fixture, so Griquas took it upon themselves to change that against the Lions at Ellis Park. The through-the-legs-ball worked wonders as it unleashed Hanru Sirgel down the touchline with the flank playing Eduan Keyter on his inside for the first of the wing’s four tries on the day.
19: Like a thief in the night
Richard Kriel pulled off the damnedest intercept you’re likely to see in the Bulls’ opening clash against Western Province at Loftus Versfeld. The fullback snatched Dan du Plessis’ pass with a one-handed twist, set off and offloaded to winger Kefentse Mahlo to canter in against the run of play.
18: Fouché the fire starter
The Pumas got their campaign off to a perfect start with a commanding win over the Lions in the tournament-opener in Nelspruit and it was Eddie Fouché who lit the fuse with a moment of magic. After fielding a dreadful kick by Dan Kriel, the flyhalf deftly chipped for left-wing Etienne Taljaard, who received a perfect bounce, shrugged Fred Zeilinga aside and went over in the corner.
17: Nel takes centre stage
The highlight of Griquas’ Central Derby domination in Kimberley came courtesy of outside centre Jay-Cee Nel, who beat three Cheetahs defenders with a rampaging run from a silky lineout to dot down under the posts.
16: Waltzing Matilda
Returning to Newlands, the Bulls banked their four-try bonus point in style against 14-man Western Province, replacement scrumhalf Keagan Johannes’ kick pass finding Lionel Mapoe, who beat a pair of defenders and drew another before passing to Cornal Hendricks, who made it look effortless as he waltzed in.
15: Gone in 60 seconds
The Cheetahs got their home assignment against Western Province off to the perfect start as a spiralling long pass by David Brits created space for Jeandré Rudolph, who shifted the ball to Duncan Saal, who swerved past the final defender to score a mere minute into the match.
14: Kickin’ it
A short story of a bad kick, a good kick and counter-attacking sandwiched in between. Man of the Match Clayton Blommetjies made Godlen Masimla regret his actions with a cracking kick-return. Flyhalf Brandon Thomson’s crosskick then bounced perfectly for centre David Brits, who brushed off a desperate Tim Swiel to score.
13: Undeniably brilliant
Like a batsman losing his wicket to a world-class delivery, there was little Western Province could do to prevent this tsunami of set-piece and phase play perfection from resulting in a try, Lionel Mapoe the man to round off as the Bulls stormed into a second successive home final.
12: Horror show highlight
Werner Kok was the catalyst for the highlight of a horror show for the Sharks in their Durban defeat to Griquas, who triumphed despite conceding five yellow cards. The hard-running centre broke free from inside his half with fast hands by fullback Anthony Volmink freeing up flank Mpilo Gumede, who cantered over.
11: Deception, power and poise
The Cheetahs and Lions played to a breathless 44-all draw in Bloemfontein, scoring six tries apiece in arguably the game of the season. Near the hour-mark, David Brits broke the line with a show and go, bumped off a would-be tackler and offloaded in contact to Ruan Pienaar. Full of poise and class, the Cheetahs captain stepped one and held on to draw two more before he linked up with Jean Droste, who put Malcolm Jaer over in the corner.
10: Golden Goose
Fluid handling and great determination by Dan Kriel to bulldoze his way over earned the Bulls one of their six tries in the Jukskei derby at Loftus, but it’s the outrageous over-the-head pass from Johan Goosen – affectionately known as “The Goose” – that started the movement that lands it at number 10 on my list.
9: Volmink finishes a stunner
Be careful who you kick to. Cheetahs flyhalf Brandon Thomson was reminded of this in Bloemfontein, where a hot-stepping Thaakir Abrahams fielded his high bomb, bamboozled four would-be tacklers and pulled in Ruan Pienaar as he offloaded to Marius Louw, who linked up with Anthony Volmink with a no-look pass that put the fullback in.
9: Rampaging Roos
The term unstoppable is frequently used, but Evan Roos proved to be exactly that in Western Province’s first game at their new home ground of Cape Town Stadium. The rampaging No.8 looked like an uncaged animal straight after half-time as he dragged Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse all of 22 metres as he stormed over for a mightily impressive solo try.
8: Hot stepper
Sharks wing Thaakir Abrahams had a whale of a time at Ellis Park to spearhead his side’s charge into the semi-finals, the pick of his hat-trick of tries seeing him step half of the Lions team for a sensational score.
7: Putting in work
Malcolm Jaer worked his socks off to score this scorcher that gave the Cheetahs a late sniff of causing an upset at Loftus Versfeld. Clearing the ball from a ruck on his wing, Jaer circled around to get the ball from fellow flyer Duncan Saal, stepped David Kriel, took a double hit and somehow stayed in field as he twisted and dotted down in the opposite corner.
6: Blue champagne
Started and finished by star flyhalf Johan Goosen, this thrillingly fluid try perfectly highlighted the champagne rugby the Bulls played as they washed away Western Province with a 48-31 semi-final win at Loftus Versfeld.
5: Awesome Abrahams
In the epic Coastal Derby in Cape Town, Thaakir Abrahams produced an awe-inspiring play to spark a coast-to-coast try. Mopping up a sticky situation inside his 22, the Sharks left-winger sped past two defenders, treated Tim Swiel like a speed bump and beat two more Province players before he handed the ball to ever-present scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse to round off.
4: Pink lightning
A power shove provided the perfect platform for the Pumas to pounce against the Bulls in Pretoria. Flyhalf Eddie Fouché threw a jackpot ball to flying fullback Devon Williams, who sliced clean through like a bat out of hell before pulling the final defender and putting wing Tapiwa Mafura in.
3: Bloemfontein globetrotters
The Cheetahs looked like rugby’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters at Kings Park, where outstanding offloads stuck left and right and resulted in Evradi Boshoff bagging his first Currie Cup try and probably the best he’ll score in his career.
2: Brits you beauty
The classic catfight in Bloemfontein produced a counter-attacking try for the ages, one that only got better and better with Junior Pokomela snatching the ball, Jacques Potgieter dummying and then freeing Reinhardt Fortuin, whose long pass to Malcolm Jaer was on the money. The wing held on just long enough before he passed to David Brits, who pinned his ears back and produced an awe-inspiring piece of aerial acrobatics to dot down in the corner.
1: Dashing 100-metre dash
The Lions produced the mother of all coast-to-coast tries against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. Fearless Wandisile Simelane, playing at No.15 instead of his usual position of outside centre, blazed the trail from inside his try-line and sent Vincent Tshituka into space. The dynamic flank showed scintillating speed and world-class ball skills as he pulled two defenders and put Courtnall Skosan away with an audacious chicken-wing offload.
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