Our Currie Cup XV for 2005

Here's our Team of the Tournament

The 2005 Currie Cup season has come and gone. The Cheetahs won the most coveted prize in domestic South African rugby, Sir Donald Currie's donation to the country. And they are truly deserved winners of the golden trophy.

But who were the individuals that stood out? Who showed consistent and good form throughout the tournament to deserve being named No.1 in their position?

We played selectors again and named the Team of the Tournament.

And we invite you to tell us if we got it

Team of the Tournament:

15 - Conrad Jantjes (Lions):
There was a time when many thought this young man was wasting his talent. Not this year. He has showed why he was first called up to the Springbok team as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in 2001. Sublime and consistent are the two words to describe him.
Bubbling under: Johan Roets, Bevin Fortuin. More like they were boiling over, but Jantjes just edged them.

14 - Rayno Benjamin (Boland):
Without doubt one of the must underrated players on the domestic scene. His Boland teammate Jongi Nokwe is rated as one of the quickest around. Benjamin not only has enough pace to match the more famous Nokwe (a Springbok tourist in 2004), but he has a great all round game to go with his raw pace.
Bubbling under: Akona Ndungane. He has matured into a fine player at the Blue Bulls.

13 - Jaque Fourie (Lions):
He is such an unassuming guy that he often looks like a pushover. But he is more likely to steamroller his opponents, both on defence and attack. He is a class act, with a great turn of speed and a very deceptive runner.
Bubbling under: JP Nel, Dries Scholtz. Both are more direct players, but still had great seasons.

12 - Wayne Julies (Lions):
There was a time when people were asking what Julies was doing in the Springbok team and what it is that Jake White sees in him? Well, he has answered all his critics - showing both his power on defence and his sublime touches on attack.
Bubbling under: Wynand Olivier, Jean de Villiers. South Africa are blessed with such incredible creative inside centres.

11 - Zhahier Ryland (Western Province):
Some players just have something special. That ability to create something out of nothing. Ryland is such a person, as his hat-trick against the Lions can attest to. Not only does he have pure pace, he also has a mean step on him.
Bubbling under: Bryan Habana. This was a close call, but Habana spoilt it all with his petulant behaviour in some games.

10 - Willem de Waal (Cheetahs):
The mark of a good player is one that can keep his cool when the heat is on in crunch matches (read here semi-finals and Final). Take bow Mr De Waal. He showed once again why he has had the measure of Western Province and has now added a Bulls scalp to his list.
Bubbling under: André Pretorius. He also reached near boiling point and it was a damn close call.

9 - Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls):
Sometimes a scrum-half needs to dictate terms from the base of the scrum, when his fly-half is having a bad day at the office. Du Preez is the perfect No.9 for this job. He is once again South Africa's first choice No.9.
Bubbling under: Neil de Kock, Ricky Januarie. De Kock had one of his better season and Januarie showed why he became a Springbok.

8 - Jonathan Mokuena (Leopards):
Pre-season predictions (at least those from the Leopards' hunting grounds) suggested he could be the find of the season. By the end of the season those predictions shifted to "he could be a Springbok". In the end he didn't make it, but with his class he may not have to wait too long.
Bubbling under: Ryno van der Merwe, Anton Leonard. They both played a big role in helping their respective teams reach the Final.

7 - Wikus van Heerden (Lions):
If you want a player with whom you can go to a war, pick Van Heerden. You never get anything less than 100 percent from him and he's a damn fine captain as well. His form was acknowledged with a recall to the Springbok team.
Bubbling under: Juan Smith. Just go look at his workrate in the Final.

6 - Schalk Burger (Western Province):
So often it seemed as if he was fighting a lone battle for WP. It is certainly not just his blond mop that makes him stand out. His all-energy style of play again showed why he was Player of the Year at both the SARU and IRB awards ceremonies last year.
Bubbling under: Gerhard Vosloo, Hendro Scholtz. Big and powerful, two real 'no nonsense' men.

5 - Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls):
There still is nobody to challenge Matfield's line-out supremacy, even though you wouldn't say so if you had watched the Final. But for consistency there was no other lock to reach his heights in the line-outs. And his workrate is not half bad either.
Bubbling under: Boela du Plooy, Francois van Schouwenburg. This is one position where depth in strength is not too bad.

4 - Barend Pieterse (Cheetahs):
When he was called upon to step up to the plate in the Final he did so like a seasoned professional and even managed to shade his more illustrious opponent (the Bok lock Bakkies Botha).  Nothing flashy about him, just very solid.
Bubbling under: Bakkies Botha. Close to boiling over.

3 - Jannie du Plessis (Cheetahs):
For such a young man he showed a remarkable amount of maturity in the big games. To keep a Springbok on the bench, even if it is partly to rest the Bok, then you must have something special.
Bubbling under: Andries Human, Marius Hurter. Old hands at the front row game.

2 - Naka Drotske (Cheetahs, captain):
For a player who wanted to retire two years ago and had to be coaxed back into active duty, he showed a remarkable amount of energy this year. In the end it appeared as if he could play another year.
Bubbling under: Federico Mendez, Gary Botha. Mendez turned the WP scrumming around and Botha produced his usual stand-out rugby.

1 - Wian du Preez (Cheetahs):
He completes our all-Cheetahs front row and deserves the credit for his mature performances in the shorts bursts he was on the field. He could develop into a great Bok one day.
Bubbling under: Kees Lensing. He was his usual consistent self.

Do you agree/disagree with us?

By Jan de Koning