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Cape Town – Is Bryan Habana’s star on the wane on the big stage, or is he still the brilliant wing of old?
That question may well be answered within the next month, starting with Saturday’s Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban.
GALLERY: The last decade of the Currie Cup
VIDEO: Sharks predict WP victory
Not many rugby experts are prepared to venture a prediction on what might happen in the Shark Tank. And a bit of Habana magic might just be the thing that brings the trophy back to Newlands.
WP coach Allister Coetzee shares the view that the teams measure up very well against one another.
“One moment of brilliance or one moment of madness that can prove decisive. It’s important for the leaders to exert control. The players must keep their emotions in check and be absolutely disciplined. The physical intensity will be similar to what you see at Test level,” said Coetzee.
Habana has good memories of the Shark Tank. After all, it is his late try that won the Super 14 final for the Bulls there in 2007.
Who better then, than the man that shares South Africa’s record of 38 Test tries with Joost van der Westhuizen, to provide that moment of brilliance for WP.
Habana is also likely to be announced on Saturday night in the Springbok squad of 30 for the Grand Slam tour.
But before then, WP will appreciate a little Habana magic from the man who's been looking like a superstar on the wane on the Test stage this year.
Habana made a few huge blunders in the Tri-Nations, but appears to have his mojo back after a month-long conditioning programme.
His performances in the blue and white hoops of WP have been promising.
He looked dangerous in the 33-21 win over the Sharks at Newlands, and scored with trademark opportunism in the semifinal win over the Cheetahs. He also plucked his own kick out of the air to set up Gio Aplon for a semifinal try.
Aplon, Juan de Jongh and Jean de Villiers are three other players who could also provide that spark.
While he's had a poor year in the Green and Gold, Habana’s try-scoring record in Cape teams hasn't been bad. He scored 7 tries in the Super 14 - including one with his trademark intercept - in the final against the Bulls in Soweto.
By then the Stormers were chasing a lost cause, but the intercept showed that rugby’s arch-opportunist on the wing is still sharp.
By Habana’s standards, 2010 has not been a good year, but he remains a player for the big occasion. And for WP it can’t get any bigger than their first Currie Cup final since 2001.
If ever there was an opportunity for Habana to end the debate on his form once and for all, it’s on Saturday in Durban.
Now it's up to him to deliver the goods.
In the event of a draw:
If, at the end of the normal 80 minutes, the scores are tied, 20 minutes' extra-time will be played. This will be divided into two halves of 10 minutes each, with a one-minute break inbetween.
If the scores are still tied at the end of extra-time, the winner will be determined by log position during the league section of the Currie Cup, i.e. before the semifinals.
This means the Sharks would win on Saturday if the scores are tied after extra-time, because they topped the log.
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche (captain), 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jacques Botes, 20. Rory Kockott, 21. Andre Pretorius, 22. Riaan Swanepoel
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean De Villiers, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Willem De Waal, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger (captain), 5. Anton van Zyl, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie, 1. JD Moller
Replacements: 16. Hanyani Shimange, 17. JC Kritzinger, 18. De Kock Steenkamp, 19. Pieter Louw, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Paul Bosch
Cape Town – Is Bryan Habana’s star on the wane on the big stage, or is he still the brilliant wing of old?
That question may well be answered within the next month, starting with Saturday’s Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban.
GALLERY: The last decade of the Currie Cup
VIDEO: Sharks predict WP victory
Not many rugby experts are prepared to venture a prediction on what might happen in the Shark Tank. And a bit of Habana magic might just be the thing that brings the trophy back to Newlands.
WP coach Allister Coetzee shares the view that the teams measure up very well against one another.
“One moment of brilliance or one moment of madness that can prove decisive. It’s important for the leaders to exert control. The players must keep their emotions in check and be absolutely disciplined. The physical intensity will be similar to what you see at Test level,” said Coetzee.
Habana has good memories of the Shark Tank. After all, it is his late try that won the Super 14 final for the Bulls there in 2007.
Who better then, than the man that shares South Africa’s record of 38 Test tries with Joost van der Westhuizen, to provide that moment of brilliance for WP.
Habana is also likely to be announced on Saturday night in the Springbok squad of 30 for the Grand Slam tour.
But before then, WP will appreciate a little Habana magic from the man who's been looking like a superstar on the wane on the Test stage this year.
Habana made a few huge blunders in the Tri-Nations, but appears to have his mojo back after a month-long conditioning programme.
His performances in the blue and white hoops of WP have been promising.
He looked dangerous in the 33-21 win over the Sharks at Newlands, and scored with trademark opportunism in the semifinal win over the Cheetahs. He also plucked his own kick out of the air to set up Gio Aplon for a semifinal try.
Aplon, Juan de Jongh and Jean de Villiers are three other players who could also provide that spark.
While he's had a poor year in the Green and Gold, Habana’s try-scoring record in Cape teams hasn't been bad. He scored 7 tries in the Super 14 - including one with his trademark intercept - in the final against the Bulls in Soweto.
By then the Stormers were chasing a lost cause, but the intercept showed that rugby’s arch-opportunist on the wing is still sharp.
By Habana’s standards, 2010 has not been a good year, but he remains a player for the big occasion. And for WP it can’t get any bigger than their first Currie Cup final since 2001.
If ever there was an opportunity for Habana to end the debate on his form once and for all, it’s on Saturday in Durban.
Now it's up to him to deliver the goods.
In the event of a draw:
If, at the end of the normal 80 minutes, the scores are tied, 20 minutes' extra-time will be played. This will be divided into two halves of 10 minutes each, with a one-minute break inbetween.
If the scores are still tied at the end of extra-time, the winner will be determined by log position during the league section of the Currie Cup, i.e. before the semifinals.
This means the Sharks would win on Saturday if the scores are tied after extra-time, because they topped the log.
Teams:
Sharks:
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Odwa Ndungane, 13. Stefan Terblanche (captain), 12. Andries Strauss, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Ryan Kankowski, 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Keegan Daniel, 5. Alistair Hargreaves, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 1. Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16. Craig Burden, 17. Eugene van Staden, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jacques Botes, 20. Rory Kockott, 21. Andre Pretorius, 22. Riaan Swanepoel
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean De Villiers, 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Willem De Waal, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Francois Louw, 6. Schalk Burger (captain), 5. Anton van Zyl, 4. Adriaan Fondse, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie, 1. JD Moller
Replacements: 16. Hanyani Shimange, 17. JC Kritzinger, 18. De Kock Steenkamp, 19. Pieter Louw, 20. Dewaldt Duvenage, 21. Lionel Cronje, 22. Paul Bosch
