It’s make or break in the final round of the Carling Currie Cup on Saturday, with three teams effectively involved in knockout matches to determine who will join the Bulls and Sharks in the semi-finals.
The semi-finalists will only be confirmed after the final match of the weekend, between the Sharks and Western Province in Durban.
Victory for the Capetonians should be enough to secure them a spot in the playoffs, but if they fail to knock over the hosts, Western Province will miss out on finishing in the top four of the Currie Cup for only the second time since 2008 (previously in 2019).
When these two coastal giants met in round three in Cape Town, WP won by 32-31, with Tim Swiel scoring 22 points with the boot as the Sharks outscored the home side by four tries to two.
If the Cheetahs – already out of the running – cause a big upset in the penultimate game and beat the Bulls in Pretoria, the Sharks can still top the log if they can get a full house of points against WP.
But it will take a mighty effort by the Free Staters as the defending champions have lost only once at Loftus Versfeld in the past year, when they hosted WP with a depleted side in the opening round of the 2021 competition.
The Bulls have been on an upward trajectory since then, but they have not yet played against the Cheetahs after their scheduled third-round match was cancelled due to positive Covid-19 cases in the Free Staters’ camp.
The first game of the weekend will set the tone, though, when third-placed Griquas host the Pumas, currently fourth on the log, in Kimberley.
Both these sides have enjoyed an excellent season and can still qualify for the semi-finals, regardless of the result in the Northern Cape. When they clashed in the third round in Nelspruit, the Lowvelders snuck through by 26-22, but having won their matches this past weekend, both will be confident for Saturday’s encounter.
The Lions have concluded their fixtures for the season and have a bye this weekend.
Match information:
Griquas vs Pumas
Date: Saturday, 28 August
Venue: Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley
Kick-off: 2:30pm
Referee: Cwengilie Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby, local appointment
TMO: Ben Crouse
TV: SuperSport
Bulls vs Cheetahs
Date: Saturday, 28 August
Venue: Loftus Versfeld
Kick-off: 4:45pm
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Johre Botha, local appointment
TMO: Quinton Immelman
TV: SuperSport
Sharks vs Western Province
Date: Saturday, 28 August
Venue: Jonsson Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Paul Mente, local appointment
TMO: Aimee Barrett-Theron
TV: SuperSport
