Defending champions, the Pumas maintained their spot at the top of the log, while the Vodacom Bulls, Cheetahs and Griquas claimed big wins on the road in the sixth round of 2023 Currie Cup action.
The Bulls made a statement when they travelled to Durban on Friday and secured a narrow 24-20 victory over the Sharks, before the Cheetahs showed similar resolve when they claimed a 26-17 bonus-point win against Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Pumas rebounded after last week’s defeat to the Sharks when they put 64 points and 10 tries past the Griffons in Welkom on Sunday, as Griquas completed the set of away wins when they edged the Lions 25-18 in Johannesburg.
STATE OF THE URC: SA teams’ playoff spots all but locked in
Both the Pumas and the Cheetahs have accumulated 25 log points after six rounds, but the men from Mpumalanga will remain at the top of the standings by virtue of their superior points’ difference (161 to the Free Staters’ 94).
Following the weekend’s results, Griquas have moved up to fifth position on the log, and are one log point behind the fourth-placed WP. The Bulls currently lie in seventh place – but a mere two log points separate Jake White’s charges and the third-placed Sharks.
Looking ahead to round 7, the Cheetahs face the Sharks in Bloemfontein on Friday (2:30pm), before the Pumas host WP at Mbombela Stadium (4:30pm). In the remaining fixtures, the Bulls and Lions are set to lock horns on the Highveld in the only kick-off on Saturday (6:30pm), with Griquas to entertain the Griffons less than 24 hours later (2pm).
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