Cape Town – It’s quarter-final week in the United Rugby Championship, and despite the Stormers’ dominance over the Bulls in recent years, it is sure to be an exciting affair at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm kickoff).
And with this being a Rugby World Cup year, the players will be going all out to impress Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber to push for selection in a high-octane South African derby.
Here are five Bok contender duels that could make it a thriller for what is expected to be a 50 000-plus capacity crowd…
Kurt-Lee Arendse v Damian Willemse
Wow, what a showdown this will be! Arendse has been a sensation for the Bulls and Boks over the last few seasons. His electric pace can spark the attack and end in tries, while he is fearless in defence and under the high ball.
Willemse is the ultimate footballer. Able to play in multiple positions across the backline, he is likely to feature at fullback instead of inside centre, where Dan du Plessis has been excellent for the Stormers.
The key factor for Willemse will be to flick his switch between being a playmaker from the back, or a strike-runner who can take on the defence.
Arendse has only been used at wing in the national team, so can he make his case as a No 15?
Canan Moodie v Leolin Zas
Moodie is still just 20 years old, but has already established himself as a seriously good rugby player for the Boks. His calmness under pressure is what sets him apart from other wings, while his size and pace helps him to be an imposing presence with ball-in-hand and winning high balls in the air.
Zas has missed out on national selection up to now, and injuries have hampered his progress in that regard. He had to sit out of last year’s URC final against the Bulls with a major ankle injury, and has been out of action since late January with a buttock muscle tear.
So, there’s little time for Zas to make a Bok bid, but Saturday’s clash against Moodie is the time to do it…
Elrigh Louw v Evan Roos
This is as much of a one-on-one battle for Springbok recognition as it is for both players just to try to get back into the Test mix.
The two big No 8s are seemingly on the fringes of national selection at the moment, with Jasper Wiese the clear first-choice and Duane Vermeulen the experienced back-up.
But in such an important game, they need to stand-out to force Nienaber to consider them.
Louw has been a consistent performer for the Bulls this season without really being spectacular.
He makes a lot of carries on attack and does his share in defence, but there hasn’t been that memorable moment that may catch the eye of the Bok coaches.
Roos’ injury woes have kept him sidelined for most of the season, but if he wants to make it to France, he needs to produce a typically dominant display.
Marcell Coetzee v Deon Fourie
This is the battle of the titans! Coetzee has been in Japan for the last six months, and will come in a bit cold into a Bulls set-up where he is normally the captain.
But such is his quality that coach Jake White should have no hesitation in putting him straight into the No 6 jersey to try to counter the threat of Stormers fetcher Deon Fourie.
An openside flank needs to secure his team’s possession as much as trying to create turnovers on the ground, so Coetzee must beat Fourie in the race to the breakdowns.
In addition, he is also a willing ball-carrier on attack, with a high work-rate in defence too.
Fourie is an out-and-out scavenger, and he has produced some warrior-like performance in winning penalties for the Stormers.
But coach John Dobson will hope that he is as sharp as he usually is, as Fourie has been out with a fractured eye socket for the last few weeks.
Johan Grobbelaar v Joseph Dweba
Bulls No 2 Grobbelaar toured with the Springboks to Australia during the 2021 Rugby Championship without getting any game-time, and has not had another look-in since.
He was unlucky to miss out on Bok selection in 2022 after a stellar URC season, with Dweba instead making the cut.
The Stormers man battled with his throwing into the lineouts at Test level – which is Grobbelaar’s strength – but is a handful with his physicality and aggression as a ball-carrier.
And to be fair to Dweba, his lineout-throwing has been better this season.
Grobbelaar didn’t quite reach the same top form in the first part of the current season, but has been excellent recently, bringing real athleticism to the Bulls pack.
Both players can settle the Bok debate about being the back-up to Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx at the World Cup with their performance in this game.
@ashfakmohamed
IOL Sport