2020/21 Carling Currie Cup

[OomStruisbaai]

SS read our posts.

Sharks' playing style is turning Curwin into a one-trick pony

So, the never-ending season finally came to an end after extra time in an already lightning delayed Carling Currie Cup final and almost inevitably, given how much kicking has dominated the competition, the failure of a place-kicker dominated the discourse afterwards.

The Vodacom Bulls would not have won their 24th Currie Cup title, and be marked down as the 2020 champions even though they sealed it one month into 2021, were it not for an uncharacteristic off-day for the normally sublime kicking boot of Cell C Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch.

The underdog Sharks raised their game and given how they fell away in the end you could say it was the altitude bogey that got them. When the half hour lightning break turned the second part of the game into a 55-minute contest, the altitude factor was taken from the game and the Sharks had a chance of repeating the famous 1990 upset. But when the Bulls came back to force the game into extra time, they brought the altitude factor back into it and it was clear that it was going to be more like the 2007 Super 14 final, when the Bulls stole it from them at the death.


It wouldn’t have come to that though, there wouldn’t have been extra time, had Bosch nailed his place-kicks like he had the previous week against DHL Western Province. Almost inevitably, Sharks coach Sean Everitt was asked about Bosch afterwards, and as inevitably and understandably, he defended his man.

“I’m not disappointed that he didn’t kick everything over. He has done it time and time again for us this year,” said Everitt.

“He has done it time and time again for us this year. Maybe today wasn’t up to the standard that we are used to from Curwin, but the guy has been amazing for us.”

ON THE MONEY

Everitt is on the money there. Were it not for Bosch’s freakish long-range penalties in the first 11 minutes of the Newlands semifinal, Everitt wouldn’t have been talking from Loftus on Saturday. Arguably the Sharks might not even have made the semifinal if it were not for Bosch’s great pressure kick that won a tight game against Griquas earlier in the season in Kimberley.

And it is also not as if the Bulls kickers didn’t also miss some crucial attempts at posts. The Bulls’ replacement flyhalf Chris Smith missed what would have been a winnable attempt on the stroke of fulltime and another early in extra time, while Morne Steyn missed a kick early in the game.

So blaming Bosch for the defeat because of missed place-kicks is perhaps unfair and a reflection of the high standards the product of Grey High in Port Elizabeth has set for himself. It is though a reflection of the perception of what Bosch’s role is - meaning someone who is almost becoming a specialist kicker, be it for posts or in his field kicking.

“Curwin has been outstanding for us and I thought generally today his game management was really good. We back him 100 per cent,” said Everitt.

That’s fair if you look at what Bosch is asked to do for the Sharks, but perhaps Everitt needs to look at what the game that the Sharks are playing might be doing to Bosch’s career and his chances of becoming a Springbok first choice flyhalf. For right now Bosch is becoming a retro-flyhalf who plays the in the pocket style of the kicking flyhalves we used to see a lot of in South Africa in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

GOING BACKWARDS

Watching Bosch in the final confirmed the perception that had been growing in some of his previous games in the Currie Cup and in the Unlocked competition that preceded the domestic competition. He’s not improving, he’s going backwards with his general game, and backwards may be the operative word as it is backwards he often goes before launching his kicks.

Almost the only time Bosch gets the ball as first receiver is when he is back in the pocket, meaning well behind the gainline with a space buffer between himself and the advancing defensive system, intending to kick. There was a time when he was good at taking the ball to the line but he doesn’t do that anymore, or at least very rarely, and that completely negates him as a potential attacking threat.

And he is not going to ever develop as a good allround flyhalf who has attacking skills and is a threat to opposing defences if he is deployed mainly as a one-trick pony who has the brief of covering the back field and returning kicks.

Everitt has spoken of the growth of Bosch’s general play quite a bit recently and maybe there has been growth in the specific role that Bosch is fulfilling for his team at the moment. If they continue their current path of relying so heavily on contestable kicks, something they perhaps should be advised against if they want to please their American investors by getting the crowds into King’s Park when stadiums are opened again, then Bosch has a crucial role to play.

But as an allrounder his play is not improving, instead it seems to be regressing. And unless the Boks decide to follow the Sharks lead and continue the bore-a-thon at international level - please don’t! - it is hard to see how Bosch’s claims to be a first choice Bok No 10 are being advanced.

His defense is also kak

[Sards]

Butthurt

[sorCrer]

Curwin has a great boot but just doesn't have the all around game. He makes shit decisions. I was watching young Harry Byrne from Leinster last night and he is 2x the player.

[Chilli]

Butthurt

But true.

He just never keeps the opponents guessing. The defenders know that he is going to kick. If he just passed to the excellent Sharks backline or twice a game attacked with a run he could be deadly. When he isn't kicking 100% of the goals he is pretty useless.

Right now he epitomises everything that is wrong with our domestic game.

This isn't a personal attack on him, it is more a dig at the coaches who follow such a fukken boring gameplan.

[Chilli]

Curwin has a great boot but just doesn't have the all around game. He makes shit decisions. I was watching young Harry Byrne from Leinster last night and he is 2x the player.

It is sad to say but the European rugby is much better quality than our CC.

[OomStruisbaai]

Butthurt

But true.

He just never keeps the opponents guessing. The defenders know that he is going to kick. If he just passed to the excellent Sharks backline or twice a game attacked with a run he could be deadly. When he isn't kicking 100% of the goals he is pretty useless.

Right now he epitomises everything that is wrong with our domestic game.

This isn't a personal attack on him, it is more a dig at the coaches who follow such a fukken boring gameplan.

That drop goals yesterday show his mentality of trying to get MOTM and being superstar of the show

[OomStruisbaai]

Jantjies is far above Bosch. He make stupid mistakes at times but make most playing attacking rugby.

[Chilli]

Butthurt

But true.

He just never keeps the opponents guessing. The defenders know that he is going to kick. If he just passed to the excellent Sharks backline or twice a game attacked with a run he could be deadly. When he isn't kicking 100% of the goals he is pretty useless.

Right now he epitomises everything that is wrong with our domestic game.

This isn't a personal attack on him, it is more a dig at the coaches who follow such a fukken boring gameplan.

That drop goals yesterday show his mentality of trying to get MOTM and being superstar of the show

He was trying.

[Sards]

Ouboet is so butthurt.....


Curwin voks up 1 game the entire Superrugby plus CC season and now he is chirping non stop. By contrast his Wunderkind vokked up every game except for 1 I think. Never heard a whisper about Wunderkind from Ouboet....

Sorry but hypocrisy is amusing but vokken sad

[sorCrer]

Curwin has a great boot but just doesn't have the all around game. He makes shit decisions. I was watching young Harry Byrne from Leinster last night and he is 2x the player.

It is sad to say but the European rugby is much better quality than our CC.

I've been watching Pro 14 this season. Some Saffas are going to be in for a bit of a wake up.

[Sards]

Curwin has a great boot but just doesn't have the all around game. He makes shit decisions. I was watching young Harry Byrne from Leinster last night and he is 2x the player.

It is sad to say but the European rugby is much better quality than our CC.

I've been watching Pro 14 this season. Some Saffas are going to be in for a bit of a wake up.

Man the quality has been awful this year and end last year. A terrible advert for CC...

I can't wait to test against European teams...although I would prefer playing Kiwi teams tbh.

The fact that the Bulls and Sharks slugged it out like 2 dronk bergies is not a final I ever want to see again. Rather keep the CC for other teams and let the Sharks and Bulls play better opposition so we can lift our game.

Sadly no other team is equipped financially to contest in thr North.

[OomStruisbaai]

Ouboet is so butthurt.....


Curwin voks up 1 game the entire Superrugby plus CC season and now he is chirping non stop. By contrast his Wunderkind vokked up every game except for 1 I think. Never heard a whisper about Wunderkind from Ouboet....

Sorry but hypocrisy is amusing but vokken sad

Did you see how he cry after the end whistle?

That was sad. Really sad. Real rugby players only cry after winning the CC or WC.

[FalseBayFC]

Jantjies is far above Bosch. He make stupid mistakes at times but make most playing attacking rugby.

Elton was pretty much the same for years. Good boot but lacked game management skills. Bosch is a very similar player actually but he may have a higher ceiling than Jantjies. He is only 23 years old. Even Pollard had a few meh years after his amazing debut. Curwin has good temperament and will learn.

[OomStruisbaai]

Jantjies is far above Bosch. He make stupid mistakes at times but make most playing attacking rugby.

Elton was pretty much the same for years. Good boot but lacked game management skills. Bosch is a very similar player actually but he may have a higher ceiling than Jantjies. He is only 23 years old. Even Pollard had a few meh years after his amazing debut. Curwin has good temperament and will learn.

Pollard has been a rugby freak since his u13 days. He had a massive kicking boot and was physically strong far above his age group.

[Sards]

Ouboet is so butthurt.....


Curwin voks up 1 game the entire Superrugby plus CC season and now he is chirping non stop. By contrast his Wunderkind vokked up every game except for 1 I think. Never heard a whisper about Wunderkind from Ouboet....

Sorry but hypocrisy is amusing but vokken sad

Did you see how he cry after the end whistle?

That was sad. Really sad. Real rugby players only cry after winning the CC or WC.

Butthurt

[assfly]

I've been watching Pro 14 this season. Some Saffas are going to be in for a bit of a wake up.

Ja this is starting to worry me too. I for one won't be so cocky. the NH have become used to playing without crowds and the standard is very high.

I watched Wasps vs Harlequins last night (Quins won 17-49) and it was a fantastic match to watch.

[assfly]

SS read our posts.

.....

His defense is also kak

I don't really disagree with much in that article. He's an incredible talent, but the way the Sharks played this season did not do him justice, nor the rest of our backline.

But you can't pin everything on him or the Sharks. At the end of the season, Sharks were the 2nd best team in the competition and the Bulls just scraped past us. There is a bigger problem with SA rugby as a whole.

Most teams embraced a conservative gameplan that just got worse as the season progressed, and we weren't helped by some incredibly poor reffing. At times if felt like American Football, where stopages in play become so tactical that you can start to predict exactly what teams are going to do many phases in advance.

[average joe]

I found it strange listening to guys going on about how Bosch lost that game for the Sharks. Bosch was kak, but fok that game was the Bull's game to lose and they made it fokon hard on themselves.

It's finals rugby and the kicking was always going to be the decider. Moernaai's backup was useless. He got only one over from all his kicks. If he got all his kicks they would have buried the Sharks.

[Rinkals]

I just want to point out that Bosch had nothing to do with Nkosi's try. He would have fukken kicked the ball away.

The Sharks could have SUCH a good attacking backline, but the tactic of just hoofing it away negates their brilliant players from 11-15.

I think that was the point I was making earlier.

Well done Bulls.

[assfly]

I just want to point out that Bosch had nothing to do with Nkosi's try. He would have fukken kicked the ball away.

The Sharks could have SUCH a good attacking backline, but the tactic of just hoofing it away negates their brilliant players from 11-15.

I think that was the point I was making earlier.

Well done Bulls.

Sharks only made one linebreak the entire match, according to the stats. Which must have been this try. Imagine we actually ran it a bit more.

[handyman]

I'm sure Bosch was under orders, but when you kick every single ball, the Bulls got afford to hang back on defence. You need to keep the defence guessing, the saarks did not do that.

We have to keep in mind that Bosch's main task ( and best attribute ) is his kicking to touch and for poles, he failed miserably with that. As Kobus Wiese would say, his BMT was missing and that will earn him a cross next to his name when Rassie considers flyhalves.

[handyman]

Butthurt

But true.

He just never keeps the opponents guessing. The defenders know that he is going to kick. If he just passed to the excellent Sharks backline or twice a game attacked with a run he could be deadly. When he isn't kicking 100% of the goals he is pretty useless.

Right now he epitomises everything that is wrong with our domestic game.

This isn't a personal attack on him, it is more a dig at the coaches who follow such a fukken boring gameplan.

Good post this.

[handyman]

So this Bosch is the preferred Bok flyhalf. Fokol bmt. Kicked every fokon ball. saarkies fokol gameplan, kick and halfhearted chase.

Rinkhals thinks that you are wrong about this. He assured me that the Sharks 2021 CC backline containing Mampimpi and Mvovu would be a joy to watch.

Yeah, but it's rinkhals.

[Sards]

Ouboet is so Butthurt because Willemse was so badly exposed. Taking all his frustration out on Bosch...thats poor sportsmanship...

Willemse didn't even make half a season as flyhalf before they pulled him

[assfly]

We have to keep in mind that Bosch's main task ( and best attribute ) is his kicking to touch and for poles, he failed miserably with that. As Kobus Wiese would say, his BMT was missing and that will earn him a cross next to his name when Rassie considers flyhalves.

Even if he slotted all of his kicks and we won, and his good season early last year, I don't think he's really near consideration for the Boks.

The only reason his name has been in the hat is because of the massive gap between Pollard and our second option. I fear for the Boks if Pollard can't play this year (whoever we play against).

[OomStruisbaai]

Ouboet is so Butthurt because Willemse was so badly exposed. Taking all his frustration out on Bosch...thats poor sportsmanship...

Willemse didn't even make half a season as flyhalf before they pulled him

You are a real vokken idiot and reply with the same old same. Havent you post a lot of post about us dont excepting kak performances?

Now that you at it , Bosch delivered the same kak game against WP in a final when Robert (Jnr) was all over him.

He just dont have BMT and is far from test quality.

Now vokken move on.

[handyman]

We have to keep in mind that Bosch's main task ( and best attribute ) is his kicking to touch and for poles, he failed miserably with that. As Kobus Wiese would say, his BMT was missing and that will earn him a cross next to his name when Rassie considers flyhalves.

Even if he slotted all of his kicks and we won, and his good season early last year, I don't think he's really near consideration for the Boks.

The only reason his name has been in the hat is because of the massive gap between Pollard and our second option. I fear for the Boks if Pollard can't play this year (whoever we play against).

It's a big worry. Pollard is nursing a big injury, not sure if he will be fit for the Lions.

[Sards]

Ouboet is so Butthurt because Willemse was so badly exposed. Taking all his frustration out on Bosch...thats poor sportsmanship...

Willemse didn't even make half a season as flyhalf before they pulled him

You are a real vokken idiot and reply with the same old same. Havent you post a lot of post about us dont excepting kak performances?

Now that you at it , Bosch delivered the same kak game against WP in a final when Robert (Jnr) was all over him.

He just dont have BMT and is far from test quality.

Now vokken move on.

Nom nom nom....your kid doesn't even deserve to be in the WP CC side.....he's kak at flyhalf and fullback...he is just a quota

dude , stop throwing stones in your glass house.....

[Sards]

We have to keep in mind that Bosch's main task ( and best attribute ) is his kicking to touch and for poles, he failed miserably with that. As Kobus Wiese would say, his BMT was missing and that will earn him a cross next to his name when Rassie considers flyhalves.

Even if he slotted all of his kicks and we won, and his good season early last year, I don't think he's really near consideration for the Boks.

The only reason his name has been in the hat is because of the massive gap between Pollard and our second option. I fear for the Boks if Pollard can't play this year (whoever we play against).

It's a big worry. Pollard is nursing a big injury, not sure if he will be fit for the Lions.

Our situation is very very dire....not just Flyhalf....We are going to get slaughtered up north.....

Just remember....Sharks can go on a buying spree like the Bulls did....so we will be ok....what about the other teams , the Lions and Stormers....how are they going to compete at all......

[Sandstorm]

Long time since I heard a losing finalist sounding so happy and cocky.

[Sards]

Long time since I heard a losing finalist sounding so happy and cocky.

It wasn't a walkover...it went to 20 minutes OT.....thats good enough for me...meant that both teams were evenly balanced and it only tok one moment to seperate it....

Besides...thats what we do...lose finals.....so we are used to it....at least we were there and part of the occassion..

Your Ouboet is on a Bosch bashing spree......giving him some back....difference is one bad game compared to 3 bad seasons for his boy.....

He is always going to lose this ...

[handyman]

Even if he slotted all of his kicks and we won, and his good season early last year, I don't think he's really near consideration for the Boks.

The only reason his name has been in the hat is because of the massive gap between Pollard and our second option. I fear for the Boks if Pollard can't play this year (whoever we play against).

It's a big worry. Pollard is nursing a big injury, not sure if he will be fit for the Lions.

Our situation is very very dire....not just Flyhalf....We are going to get slaughtered up north.....

Just remember....Sharks can go on a buying spree like the Bulls did....so we will be ok....what about the other teams , the Lions and Stormers....how are they going to compete at all......

WP have never had trouble to get big name players.

I hope Bosch have some ice for his feet, with all that kicking...

[handyman]

Long time since I heard a losing finalist sounding so happy and cocky.

He has been weighed; he has been measured; and he has been found wanting.

[OomStruisbaai]

Long time since I heard a losing finalist sounding so happy and cocky.

It wasn't a walkover...it went to 20 minutes OT.....thats good enough for me...meant that both teams were evenly balanced and it only tok one moment to seperate it....

Besides...thats what we do...lose finals.....so we are used to it....at least we were there and part of the occassion..

Your Ouboet is on a Bosch bashing spree......giving him some back....difference is one bad game compared to 3 bad seasons for his boy.....

He is always going to lose this ...

Bosch will fit right in with Dobson kak gameplan. Sharks have the best backline in SA. Willemse will fit right in there. Do you get it?

[Sards]

Long time since I heard a losing finalist sounding so happy and cocky.

It wasn't a walkover...it went to 20 minutes OT.....thats good enough for me...meant that both teams were evenly balanced and it only tok one moment to seperate it....

Besides...thats what we do...lose finals.....so we are used to it....at least we were there and part of the occassion..

Your Ouboet is on a Bosch bashing spree......giving him some back....difference is one bad game compared to 3 bad seasons for his boy.....

He is always going to lose this ...

Bosch will fit right in with Dobson kak gameplan. Sharks have the best backline in SA. Willemse will fit right in there. Do you get it?

Vokof.....Willemse se poes....take your piece of shit and let him play Vodacom or school rugby...thats all he is worth dude......Fassi made him look like a pop

[assfly]

WP have never had trouble to get big name players.

I hope Bosch have some ice for his feet, with all that kicking...

The Bulls kicked the ball more than the Sharks.

The great irony being that both sides scored tries on the occasions they didn't kick.

[Sards]

I just laugh at the Stomps......



Overhyped , overrated .......4th best out of the 4 franchises...

[OomStruisbaai]

It wasn't a walkover...it went to 20 minutes OT.....thats good enough for me...meant that both teams were evenly balanced and it only tok one moment to seperate it....

Besides...thats what we do...lose finals.....so we are used to it....at least we were there and part of the occassion..

Your Ouboet is on a Bosch bashing spree......giving him some back....difference is one bad game compared to 3 bad seasons for his boy.....

He is always going to lose this ...

Bosch will fit right in with Dobson kak gameplan. Sharks have the best backline in SA. Willemse will fit right in there. Do you get it?

Vokof.....Willemse se poes....take your piece of shit and let him play Vodacom or school rugby...thats all he is worth dude......Fassi made him look like a pop

Kolisi will take them with him to the Sharks.

[Sards]

ouboet please keep your trash.... or just throw it out like normal people do.....

Only Kitsoff and Malherbe made team of the tournament.....

Where is your Willemse ouboet...in the scrap heap

[Sandstorm]

The great irony being that both sides scored tries on the occasions they didn't kick.

Amazing how a bunch of dronk armchair fans can see it, but 7 Pro coaches in the Currie Cup (I exclude Ivan van Rooyen here because the Lions do actually move the ball by hand) just don't want to try it.