Currie Cup Semi-final: Bulls 48-31 Western Province as it happened

Bulls vs Western Province: The table-topping home side have been on an impressive run in pandemic era rugby while the visitors smell an upset.

Bulls vs Western Province: LIVE scores and blog

Bulls vs Western Province: Match preview

The Bulls have been the clear frontrunners since early on in the Currie Cup, quickly recovering from an opening round loss to Western Province when they fielded a weakened team owing to their Rainbow Cup final participation.

Western Province on the other hand are in the last four by the skin of their teeth, fighting back against the Sharks in Durban to clinch a bonus-point win they needed to take the Pumas spot in the semi-finals. They have been a mercurial side this term but possess the quality to overcome any Currie Cup team on their day.

The last time these two icons of the local game met in a Currie Cup semi-final was in 2018, when the Bulls travelled to Cape Town only to be denied by Western Province winger SP Marais, who scored 30 points as he steered the Capetonians to a 35-32 victory in a 100-minute thriller. Two years before that, Western Province faced their arch enemies in a top-four clash in Pretoria, with the Bulls eking out a 36-30 win to progress to the Currie Cup final before losing to the Cheetahs.

Currie Cup Semi-final: Bulls vs Western Province team news

Marcell Coetzee will return to lead the Bulls in their Currie Cup semi-final clash against Western Province. The skipper last featured in the side’s 56-33 win over Griquas in the round-robin stages of the competition.

Coetzee’s inclusion, as he replaces WJ Steenkamp, is one of four changes to the starting XV that beat the Toyota Cheetahs in the final round match last weekend. These changes include the rotation of Schalk Erasmus, who will wear the No.2 jersey this week, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who will provide hooker cover from the bench.

In the backline, Harold Vorster makes a return and partners up with Lionel Mapoe for the midfield pairing. Cornal Hendricks, who played at centre last week, shifts to wing where he replaces Kurt-Lee Arendse. At scrumhalf, Zak Burger will earn a starting berth in the semi-final to form what has been a familiar halfback pairing with Johan Goosen.

Springbok hooker Scarra Ntubeni comes in as one of two changes to the Western Province starting team. Both changes are in the front row, with tighthead Sazi Sandi joining Ntubeni up front and Neethling Fouche set to make an impact in the second half from the replacements bench.

Teams

Bulls

15 David Kriel, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Schalk Erasmus, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.

Substitutes:16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Jacques van Rooyen, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Stravino Jacobs, 24 Joe van Zyl, 25 Reinhardt Ludwig, 26 Jaco Labuschagne, 27 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 28 Stedman Gans.

Western Province

15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Ruhan Nel, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Johan du Toit, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Leon Lyons.

Replacements (from): 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Rikus Pretorius, 23 Tristan Leyds, 24 Warrick Gelant.

Match information, TV details, kick-off times, live stream

Bulls vs Western Province

Date: Friday, 3 September

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kick-off: 19h00

Referee: AJ Jacobs

Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Cwengile Jadezweni

Television Match Official: Quinton Immelman

TV: SuperSport

Live stream: DStv Now, Showmax Pro