Die Streeptruie “The Striped Shirts”; Currie Cup Rugby (RC3)

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The ABSA Currie Cup is a rugby tournament contested among South Africa’s top provincial and regional rugby unions, and is a storied South African sporting institution dating back to 1891. The “oldest local tournament in the world,” the Currie Cup oozes tradition and passion, and its iconic trophy is a coveted prize for players and supporters throughout the rugby-crazed nation.

I’ll be taking the helm of Western Province. Founded in 1883, W.P. Rugby represents South Africa’s Western Cape and is based in Cape Town. As the title of this thread indicates, one of their nicknames is “Die Streeptruie," which is “The Striped Shirts” in Afrikaans. Western Province is the most successful of all the domestic South African unions having captured 34 Currie Cup titles.

It’s not a particularly precise comparison, but these days the Western Province Currie Cup side is almost like a AAA squad in baseball, or AHL affiliate in hockey, to the Western Province Rugby Union’s Super Rugby side the Stormers.

For the uninitiated, Super Rugby is the southern hemisphere’s premiere club rugby competition contested between clubs from Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, and probably the world’s premier club competition. That all said, the Currie Cup garners much more attention and interest nationwide than most second-tier competitions anywhere else. It is however, not uncommon to see some Super Rugby stars released for a few matches to the Currie Cup squad from time to time.

Rugby Challenge 3 is a bit of a mess, but also has some really fun, engaging, and surprisingly deep gameplay (at times). The rosters are sort of last year’s/sort of a disaster, and I’m not going to bother updating them because the fanhub feature (roster share-ish feature) is also a mess. In any case, I’ll be using the near default rosters. If you’re reading this and follow rugby (particularly South African rugby) I ask you suspend your disbelief a little further when it comes to roster accuracy. Blame Wicked Witch and Tru Blu games!

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Pre-Season Recap



The pre-season was largely a time for the Western Province youngsters to gain Coach John Dobson’s attention in the run up to Currie Cup play. Meanwhile, the task for veteran players was to get sharp while staying healthy for the gruelling campaign ahead.

Match 1: A contest with the rival Blue Bulls. 35-21 defeat. Plenty of running and scoring. Captain DeJongh ran the length of the pitch on a turnover. Two young squads committing a lot of handling errors and penalties.

Match 2: Free State Cheetahs won 19-14. Too many unforced errors by Western Province despite winning possession and territory.

Match 3: First victory of the pre-season a 17-7 win over Eastern Province Kings. A jittery first half was set aside by a strong second. Etzebeth drew in for his first pre-season action and scored a try by running over helpless scrum-half on the goalline.

Match 4: A 14-3 victory over the Griquas. Western Province should have had a better result after a dominant first half in which they could not get out of their own way inside the opponents 22. Griquas carried play in the second half, but immediately failed to capture momentum after converting a penalty by botching restart and committing a forward pass in the scramble leading to a Huw Jones try.

Pre-Season Record: 2-2

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Etzebeth violates Western Province union rule; demoted from Stormers to Currie Cup duty



Cape Town—Eben Etzebeth, one of word rugby’s most fearsome enforcers and physical specimens, will be swapping his Stormers shirt and Super Rugby comptetition for the nostalgic hoops of Western Province’s Currie Cup side. Etzebeth last represented DHL Western Province in the Currie Cup in 2014.

Western Province assigned Etzebeth to Currie Cup duty after an apparent violation of the union’s rules. In a press conference on Monday, Etzebeth reiterated his passion for the club, and acknowledged he’d made a mistake, and was fully accepting of the consequences. Etzebeth noted, despite the technical demotion, he felt “nothing but excitement” over a chance to represent his province and win a Currie Cup.

Etzebeth will still be available for Springbok selection where he is the side’s first choice No 4 lock.

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Juan de Jongh Returns as Captain of Western Province in 2015



Ahead of Round One of the Currie Cup, Western Province announced star centre Juan de Jongh will remain its captain for a second season.

On his captaincy, de Jongh commented: “It’s a tremendous honor to lead Western Province. This Union is my home, I grew up dreaming of representing this side and its unmatched tradition. To be listed forever among the long line of Western Province captains is truly a humbling thought.”

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Currie Cup Round 1

Despite Embarrassing Performance, Western Province Steal Victory at the Death.



Kimberley—Western Province traveled to the Northern Cape and thoroughly embarrassed themselves for 80 minutes. Trouble in the scrum, ball handling issues, a disorganized backline, and a lack of urgency to the breakdowns were all factors in Western Province’s shocking display against an underwhelming Griquas squad. The Griquas held 70% of possession through the game, and Western Province found itself hemmed inside its own 22 and barely hanging on.

If not for the ill-discipline of the Griquas, and the steady boot of Demetri Catrakilis, Western Province would have seen the game out of reach before the first forty minutes were up. Yet, despite their collective buffoonery, Western Province were only down 10-6 at the half.

The second half brought more of the same. Western Province turned the ball over again and again, and failed to execute in the restarts. The Griquas were not much better—failing to capitalize on a number of gift-wrapped chances from five metres out.

Western Province lurched to life in the 78th minute with a Dillyn Leyds try in the 78th, and looked fortunate to salvage a draw out the mess that and been.

With the match entering stoppage time, Western Province were dead in the water once again with the Griquas grinding them to death near their own goal line, and looking sure to concede the draw. Then, instead of playing it into touch and settling for the draw themselves, the Griquas recycled the ball one time too many and were nabbed for holding on in the ruck. Western Province promptly went for the Hail Mary tap in the shadow of their own goal posts. The ball ended up in captain Juan de Jongh’s hands, and in a flash the game was over. An astonishing run the length of the pitch by de Jongh cemented a stunning victory in the unlikeliest of scenarios.

The play that won the match:



Final Score: WP 20 Griquas 13

Team

Starting XV

1. Sithole
2. Ntubeni
3. W. Louw

4. R. Botha
5. Kleyn

6. Notshe
7. Benn
8. Carr

9. Vermaak
10. Catrakilis
11. Howard
12. De. Jongh
13. Jones
14. Leyds
15. Kolbe
————————
Bench

Willemese
Kitshoff
Van Vuuren
Groom
Van Wyk
Taute
J. Du. Plessis

On Springbok duty:

Etzebeth
Kolisi
J. Louw



Notes: Jano Vermaak was lost in the first half with a broken jaw and will miss 8-10 weeks. Nic Goom will take his place as the starting scrumhalf.

The Springboks won The Rugby Championship

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Currie Cup Round 2

Western Province Notch 24-17 win in back and forth affair with the Cheetahs



Cape Town—Western Province kicked off the home portion of their Currie Cup campaign with a much stronger side than in week one.

The demoted Eben Etzebeth returned from the Springboks as a champion of Southern Hemisphere rugby along with fellow Springboks, youngster Jon Louw and Siya Kolisi. Each drew into the starting 15. Particularly noteworthy was the unusual sequencing of seventeen year old Jon Louw making his Springbok debut ahead of making his Currie Cup appearance.

Keen to right the wrongs of week one. Coach John Dobson tweaked the lineup elsewhere; Nic Groom drew in at scrum half to replace injured Jano Vermaak, Cheslin Kolbe moved from fullback to left wing, and Jaco Taute drew in at fullback. Kobe van Wyk was dropped from the side.

Western Province came out looking strong and organized. Nic Groom scored the first try inside five minutes on a nifty chip and chase. Province continued the early roll with Demitri Catrakilis finding a seam for a try after a long phase possession. Western Province looked settled and confident with an early 14-0 lead

The Cheetah’s punched back hard. Two quick tries, and one failed conversion put the score at 14-12 after forty minutes. The Cheetahs completely swung the momentum of the match and had Western Province looking suspiciously like the contemptible week one side.

Western Province botched the second half restart and the Cheetahs pounced on a loose ball to secure an early try and their first lead. Again though, Cheetahs failed to convert, and were staked to a lesser 17-14 lead. Despite the ligature tightening around their necks, Western Province were saved an even more significant deficit by Catrakilis’ constant and incredible clearance kicking.

Western Province tied the match at 17 on a Catrakilis penalty conversion.

In the 77th minute, Number 8 Nizaam Carr—already a man of the match candidate for a storming effort in defence—picked the ball off a ruck inside five meters and crashed through the Cheetahs sagging line to secure a 24-17 win for Western Province.

Final Score: WP 24 (2-0) Cheetahs 17 (1-1)

Man of the Match: Demetri Catrakilis. Though Nizaam Carr’s effort was immense and he scored the winning try, Catrakilis did a bit of everything, and his tactical kicking
helped guide Western Province through the ebbs and flows of the match.

Team

Starting XV

1. Sithole
2. Ntubeni
3. W. Louw

4. Etzebeth
5. Kleyn

6. Kolisi
7. J. Louw
8. Carr

9. Groom
10. Catrakilis
11. Kolbe
12. De Jongh
13. H. Jones
14. Leyds
15. Taute
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Bench

Willemese
Kitshoff
Botha
Elstadt
Schreuder
Coleman
Howard
Kotze

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Currie Cup Round 3

Rival Blue Bulls Ambush Western Province



Pretoria—The third round of the Currie Cup was a renewal of the historic Western Province v. Northern Transvaal rivalry. From the opening whistle it was clear the Blue Bulls had a plan for Western Province—to get the match into a phone booth and start swinging.

Western Province were quickly on the backfoot with the fired up Bulls relentlessly picking and driving. Province conceded the first try after a battering sequence of play from the Bulls forwards.

The Bulls control over possession appeared to completely disengage the Western Province backs from the match. Juan de Jongh and crew were disorganized, looked fatigued, and failed to make anything out of their few opportunities.

Province, to their credit put in a sensational effort in defense, and managed to keep the match within reach. Their determination without the ball was rewarded in the 56th minute when Huw Jones found some space out wide off of a driving maul to go in for a try and draw the game a 7-7.

Jones’ try wasn’t enough to turn the momentum, and the Bulls returned to their rugged style of play. Late and unable to clear inside 22, Handre Pollard found the weakness in Province’s fatigued line and went in for the game winning try.

Final Score Bulls (2-1) 14 WP (2-1) 7

Tries
Bulls: F. van der Merwe, Pollard
WP: H. Jones

Man of the Match: Despite a heroic effort by Eben Etzebeth in the loss, Flip van der Merwe terrorized Province in all phases of play for 80 minutes.


Starting XV

1. Sithole
2. Ntubeni
3. W. Louw

4. Etzebeth
5. Kleyn

6. Kolisi
7. J. Louw
8. Carr

9. Groom
10. Catrakilis
11. Kolbe
12. De Jongh
13. H. Jones
14. Leyds
15. Taute
—————————
Bench

Willemese
Kitshoff
Botha
Elstadt
Schreuder
Coleman
Howard
Kotze

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Currie Cup Round 4

Leyds puts on a show as WP Crush Cheetahs 35-14



Bloemfontein—It took Western Province half an hour, but Eben Etzebeth would not let a bright start go to waste. Etzebeth picked the ball up out of the ruck, found some space, gained a head of steam and ran through the helpless Cheetahs flyhalf for his first try of the competition. The play seemed to cause something to finally click for Western Province. Shortly after Etzebeth’s brutality, Dilyn Leyds capped a spectacular weaving run to put WP up 14-0.

To start the second half, Leyds was at it again—corralling a clearance kick and charging from inside Province’s 22 all the way for a try. Western Province’s forward pack were keen to add to their tally when Sithole blocked a clearance kick, but the ball was held up by the tackler denying the try. Off the ensuing 5m scrum, Nizaam Carr picked the ball, took it into contact, and offloaded to Jon Louw for the youngster’s first career try.

The Cheetah’s scored two late tries, but the end scoreline flattered their effort. Western Province were truly dominant for the first time in 2015. Western Province win both their matches versus the Cheetahs in the 2015 Currie Cup.

Final Score: WP 35 (3-1) FSC 14 (2-2)

Man of the Match: Dillyn Leyds played a world class left wing in the match. A threat to score from anywhere on the pitch any time he touched the ball. An easy choice for man of the match, the most impressive individual performance by a Western Province player this season, and a performance sure to catch the eyes of the Springboks brass.

Tries

FSC: Rhule, Venter WP J. Louw, W. Louw, Etzebeth, Leyds

Starting XV

1. Sithole
2. Ntubeni
3. W. Louw

4. Etzebeth
5. Kleyn

6. Kolisi
7. J. Louw
8. Carr

9. Groom
10. Catrakilis
11. Leyds
12. De Jongh
13. H. Jones
14. Taute
15. Kolbe
—————————
Bench

Willemese
Kitshoff
Botha
Elstadt
Schreuder
Coleman
Howard
Kotze

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Western Province too much for Plucky Griquas



Cape Town—For the second week in a row, Western Province leveraged their quality over an inferior opponent en route to a dominant victory. Quality, let alone dominance, is something Province have struggled to achieve through the pre-season and half-way into Currie Cup competition, and so the performance against the Griquas stirred hope in a nervous fan base of a squad finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Demetri Catrakilis was yet again the maestro for Province. He converted an early high tackle penalty, and then in quick order, found himself alone outside to finish a strong bout of team possession for a try.

Western Province’s defensive play was suspect early, and, after the Catrakilis try, conceded two successive tries and a converted a penalty for 19 unanswered points.

Catrakilis continued as the steadying force for Province and converted a long kick off a holding on penalty to stake his side to a 20-19 lead at the half.

Province were very bright with the ball in hand after forty minutes, but despite 20 points, truly failed to make the most of their quality. The defensive effort, while weak in result on the scoreboard, was fairly organized, but sunk by spots poor tackling and ill discipline.

Coming out of the break it was clear Western Province had had enough and quickly took quickly control of the match. Catrakilis again pulled the strings in attack, dragging the Griquas defenders in, creating space, and showing excellent patience before slinging a wonderful pass to de Jongh for a try.

With Province cruising, all positive sentiment was quickly dashed when an injury knocked substitute hooker Mike Willemese out of the match, and then further disaster when the club’s mid-season MVP, and man of the match, Demetri Catrakilis was lost in a hard tackle.

Juan de Jongh added a second try late in a race to the corner flat against a ragged Griquas defense.

The Griquas failed to score a point in the second half, and Western Province cruised to a costly 32-19 victory.

The story quickly shifted to the injury situation. For Willemese, a facial injury will keep him out for the remainder of the group phase. Catrakilis' Currie Cup in finished with a nerve injury.

Catrakilis had been a dynamo at flyhalf for Western Province and was leading the Currie Cup in scoring at the half-way mark.

Kurt Coleman will have the first shot at replacing Catrakilis in the starting XV

Final Score: WP 32 (4-1) Griquas 19 (1-4)

Man of the match: Demetri Catrakilis, in what would prove to be his last match of the competition, was sensational. Not only did he do a bit of everything, but his level of play raised the quality of the entire squad into an elite Currie Cup side. Now the hard part for Province is replacing him.

Tries: WP: Sithole, Catrakilis, de Jongh (2) Griquas: Lienberg, Arenose, Jansen

Starting XV

1. Sithole
2. Ntubeni
3. W. Lous

4. J. Vermeulen
5. Kleyn

6. Elstadt
7. J. Benn
8. Carr

9. Groom
10. Coleman
11. Leyds
12. de Jongh
13. Jones
14. Taute
15. Kolbe

Bench

Mbonambi
Kitshoff
Botha
Elstadt
Schreuder
Coleman
Howard
Kotze

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Currie Cup at the Half-Way Point


(Kurt Coleman will replace the injured Demetri Catrakilis at flyhalf)



Through five matches, Western Province are where they should be at 4-1. However, despite the record, inconsistency and stretches of truly horrid play keep a suspect eye on the club. Add to that, a severe black eye at the hands of the rival Blue Bulls, and it hardly feels like the team has been as good as the record indicates.

No one around Cape Town is calling this team the dominant side they were expected to be, and their Currie Cup leading point differential of 41 flatters a Province side that beat up on weak opponents in consecutive weeks.

Critics point out Province have played a lot of the Cheetahs and Griquas through the pre-season and early Currie Cup. Hardly the upper-echelon sides of the competition.

Now, Kurt Coleman must replace the sensational Demetri Catrakilis at flyhalf, and Eben Etzebeth and Jon Louw will miss some matches down the stretch for Springbok duty.

Despite the 4-1 record, all questions surrounding this Western Province side remain to be answered in the second half of the Currie Cup.