Peter de Villiers surprised quite a few experts by calling up Earl Rose to Bok flyhalf position instead of WP flyhalf Peter Grant. Luke Watson also withdrew himself from the squad before the team anouncement.

“Free State Cheetahs flank Heinrich Brüssow is the other debutant.

South African squad:

Backs: Jean de Villiers (Western Province), Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls), Jaque Fourie (Golden Lions), Bryan Habana (Blue Bulls), Adrian Jacobs (Sharks), Conrad Jantjes (Western Province), Enrico Januarie (Western Province), Jongi Nokwe (Free State Cheetahs), Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), Ruan Pienaar (Sharks), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Earl Rose (Golden Lions), Francois Steyn (Sharks).

Forwards: Andries Bekker (Western Province), Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls), Schalk Burger (Western Province), Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Blue Bulls), Brian Mujati (Western Province), Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls), John Smit (captain), Juan Smith (Free State Cheetahs), Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls), Gurthrö Steenkamp (Blue Bulls.

Brüssow (22) and Rose (24) were named among 28 players for Tests against Wales (November 8), Scotland (November 15) and England (November 22).

The inclusion of Rose in a team that has no specialist flyhalf is a major shocker – even more so if Rose’s very poor form in the Super 14 and Currie Cup this year is taken into consideration.

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The men from Potchefstroom, the Platinum Leapords are back with the big boys in the Currie Cup Premier division after beating the Valke twice in a row.

“The Leopards – who finished the regular part of the First Division season in first place, before losing to the Griffons in the final on October 10 – beat the Valke 27-19 to make it two from two against the Brakpan-based side, having beaten them 29-24 last weekend.

The Leopards ended the promotion/relegation fortnight as the only unbeaten team and they will be joined in the Premier Division in 2009 by the Boland Cavaliers, despite the Bolanders going down 50-42 to the Griffons in Welkom on Friday afternoon.

Boland beat the Griffons 54-15 last week and that victory was enough to see the Bolanders – who finished seventh in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division – retain their Premier Division status once again.

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South Africa’s premier Union Rugby competition, the ABSA Currie Cup is set to welcome a new team into their midst.

“The Leopards took a giant leap towards inclusion in South Africa’s top echelon when they edged the Falcons 29-24 in their First Round promotion/relegation match in Brakpan on Friday.

The Leopards, who will take a handy advantage into next week’s second leg, could join the ranks of big animals like the Sharks, Blue Bulls, Cheetahs and Lions – not to mention Western Province, Griquas and Boland Cavaliers – next year.

The Cavaliers have virtually secured their place in the Premier Division for another year with a runaway 54-15 win over the First Division champions, the Griffons, in Wellington earlier on Friday.

The second leg is in Welkom, but Griffons have several mountains to climb if they are to get promotion.

We look at the first leg of the promotion/relegation matches:

Falcons 24-29 Leopards

The Leopards, beaten in the First Division Final last week, have one foot in the big time after beating the Falcons in Brakpan on Friday. The visitors from Potchefstroom deservedly won the match after trailing 6-10 at half-time.

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It’s the Absa Currie Cup Final most people anticipated; it’s the Sharks against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in Durban and the men in light blue could not be any more determined to go one better after their semifinal win over the defending champion Vodacom Free State Cheetahs.

The Bulls beat the Cheetahs 31-19 in a hard-fought encounter in Pretoria on Saturday evening, just hours after the table-topping Sharks made sure they would be hosting the Absa Currie Cup Final.

The Sharks, who have lost just twice this season, beat the Xerox Lions 29-14 in their semifinal in Durban, with both teams scoring two tries in a high-quality encounter.

The difference in the end was the kicking boot of September’s Absa Currie Cup Player of the Month, Ruan Pienaar, who contributed 16 points, whilst fellow Bok star Frans Steyn also weighed in with a monstrous 58-metre penalty goal.

Of course, the Sharks against the Bulls – in Durban – is a repeat of last year’s drama-filled Vodacom Super 14 Final; a game the Bulls won 20-19 in the last minute through a superb Bryan Habana try and Derick Hougaard’s subsequent conversion.

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It seems that the the remaining two spots for the semi-finals of the Currie Cup will go down to the wire, after this weekend’s happenings both on and off the field.

“Yes, when Western Province and the Lions go head-to-head just after 17.00 (South African time) on Saturday, October 4, there will be one spot in the play-offs remaining and they will be contesting that place.

The Sharks and Blue Bulls have secured their places. All that remains is to determine who finishes first and who ends up second. First place brings with it home ground advantage in a possible Final.

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What an exciting Currie Cup weekend it was once again! In Wellington Vodacom Western Province battled to a 23 – 7 victory over the Boland Kavaliers on poor field conditions and failed to gain their vital bonus point to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

“The pre-match withdrawal of captain Jean de Villiers with a stomach bug and the pressure on Western Province to score four tries, conspired to destabilise the Cape Town outfit and ultimately cost them the all-important bonus point.

Given the context of the game, Boland’s patience, spoiling tactics and superb defensive resiliency proved to be an effective concoction for the home team, with the Kavaliers already resigned to a bottom-two finish and the visitors chasing the defending champion Cheetahs to clinch a playoff berth.

A jittery Western Province failed to convert their try-scoring opportunities and saw several promising offensive manoeuvres into Boland territory fizzle out because of unforced errors.

WP scored three tries through centre Sireli Naqelevuki (2) (redeeming himself after dropping the ball on the score line earlier!) and number eight Luke Watson, while inside centre Morgan Newman slotted a conversion and flyhalf Peter Grant kicked a pair of penalties.

Winger Danwel Demas scored Boland’s only try and fullback Justin Peach converted.”

The Sharks ended the weekend at the top of the log by beating the Lions 34 – 20 in Johannesburg.

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SA Rugby’s Communication Officer Chris Hewitt seems to be the person amidst the allegations against Peter de Villiers about the existence of a sexual video. Mr Hewitt was suspended yesterday pending an internal investigation. Hewitt, who let De Villiers know of the existence of the video and apparently tried to blackmail him to include certain rugby players in his team selection, will still receive his salary during the course of the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Verenigde Gereformeerde Kerk (by word of James Mac Kay) where De Villiers is a member of have backed him, stating that he might be the target of supporters of the old regime because of his race.

A 62-metre penalty-kick by Wildeklawer Griquas fullback Riaan Viljoen gave the home team a 21-20 (halftime 12-6) victory over Vodacom Western Province in an exciting Absa Currie Cup match in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.The result marks the Kimberley team’s first victory of the season, and their desperate desire for a win was clearly visible in the number of kamikaze tackles that were meted out during the course of play.

Coach Dawie Theron’s charges complemented their physicality in the tackle with deft handling and strong, straight-running off the ball in a match which saw the lead change hands five times.

Griquas’ regular kicking ace, flyhalf Conrad Barnard missed four of five attempts at goal – converting hooker James van der Walt’s try after skewing an earlier conversion of wing Gavin Passens’ score – but fortunately for the home team, Viljoen was ready to step into the breach by slotting all three of his penalty-kicks.

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The Xerox Lions produced a splendid display of running rugby to wallop the Boland Cavaliers 57-17 (half-time 24-10) in a one-sided ABSA Currie Cup game at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday.This was by far the best showing this season by last year’s loosing finalists and they announced their return to form in emphatic style with clinical execution of pattern and game plan.

The visitors had momentarily stunned the home team when in the tenth minute, the gangly Bradley Mockford intercepted a pass on his own ten metre line and off-loaded in the tackle to promising eigthman Dries van Schalkwyk, who sprinted 40m to dot down under the poles.

The Lions hit back shortly afterwards however, through a penalty by the mercurial fullback Earl Rose, who then showed a touch of magic with a prodigious side step, breaching the advancing defence to touch down under the poles, allowing the Lions to nudge into the lead.

Coach Eugene Eloff had indicated that a lot of time had been dedicated to working on finishing off moves during the week and he will be glad that that investment paid dividends.

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Two late tries earned Vodacom Western Province a 26-17 come-from-behind Absa Currie Cup victory over archrivals the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Newlands in Cape Town, on Saturday evening.Despite trailing in possession stakes for most of the first 40 minutes, first-half tries from JP Joubert and Pedrie Wannenburg – with flyhalf Morné Steyn converting – helped the Vodacom Bulls into a commanding 14-3 at half-time lead.

That lead then became 17-9 in the second half, before replacement Bulls loose forward Hilton Lobberts was sin-binned in the 68th minute – setting up a heart-stopping finish as Vodacom WP launched a stunning fightback in the final 10 mintues.

Flyhalf Willem de Waal – who scored 20 points on his WP debut last week – had kept his side within striking distance with his metronomic boot for most of the match, but late tries by fullback Gio Aplon and inside centre Gcobani Bobo, with De Waal adding the extras, handed the home side a famous victory, much to the delight of the partisan Newlands crowd.

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