Facts on the 2010 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Final:
• This will be the 50th Absa Currie Cup Final since the advent of finals in this competition in 1939. The Sharks have played in 12 finals before, while Vodacom Western Province will make their 22nd appearance in an Absa Currie Cup Final. The Durban side have won five titles from those finals, with the Cape team winning 12 out of 21 (which includes two shared titles).
• The Sharks and Vodacom Western Province have competed against each other in four Absa Currie Cup Finals, the most recent being in 2001. The Durban side were victorious in one final (1995) while Province have won three finals (1984, 2000 & 2001).
• Thirteen Sharks players (from their expected match day 22) have previous Absa Currie Cup Final experience. Only four Vodacom Western Province players in their expected match day 22 have been involved in an Absa Currie Cup Final before this weekend.
• Fifteen of the Vodacom WP players selected for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Final were part of the Vodacom Stormers team that conceded a 25-17 defeat against the Vodacom Bulls in this year’s Vodacom Super 14 Final played at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
• Eleven players in The Sharks’ expected squad for this Absa Currie Cup Final have tasted victory in a final before. boasts a total of 13 Absa Currie Cup winner medals, while three players with Vodacom Western Province have been on the winning side in a final – incidentally all of them for other provinces.
• Prop Jannie du Plessis have four winning medals (three for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and one for The Sharks in 2008). In the Vodacom WP side, flyhalf Willem de Waal has three (all for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2005, 2006 and 2007), while winger Bryan Habana (Vodacom Blue Bulls in 2009) and No 8 Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in 2007) have one each.
• Jannie du Plessis will be the most experienced Sharks player in terms of finals played (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Stefan Terblanche, who is the only survivor of the 2000 and 2001 finals, will be playing in his fourth Absa Currie Cup Final. He played centre in 2000, left-wing in 2001 and fullback for the Durban side during the 2008 final against the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
• De Waal will be playing in his fifth Absa Currie Cup Final after representing the Vodacom Free Cheetahs in the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 finals. Habana will be playing in his fourth (2005, 2008 and 2009 for the Vodacom Blue Bulls).
• This Absa Currie Cup Final will be Andries Strauss’ (The Sharks) and De Waal’s (Vodacom WP) last match for their respective teams. Strauss will be going back to the Free State, where he grew up and started his career while Province’s pivot is set to continue his rugby in Italy next year.
• De Waal is the leading points’ scorer (215) in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup competition. The flyhalf converted 34 tries and also kicked 49 penalties. He was also the top points-scorer in Absa Currie Cup in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Sharks utility back Patrick Lambie is the second leading points’ scorer this season with 180 points (three tries, 33 conversions and 30 penalties).
• The Sharks have scored the most tries (63) in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup and have also added the second most points by any team (508) this season. The Cape Town side have scored 62 tries (second place) and scored the most points (551) in 2010.
• Sharks winger Lwazi Mvovo (The Sharks) is second on the list of leading try-scorers this season with 12 tries. Other leading try-scorers who are likely to appear in the final are Gio Aplon (WP) who is third on the list with nine tries, Keegan Daniel (Sharks), who has scored eight and is fourth, as well as Odwa Ndungane (Sharks) with seven tries (fifth).