With a double-header of the Premier Division action scheduled as the halfway mark of the competition comes into view, while the match scheduled for Durban has been cancelled.
The table-topping New Nation Pumas are not in action on Wednesday and will keenly follow the matches in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein to see how the results will influence the standings.
The Carling Currie Cup Premier Division match between the Cell C Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls scheduled for Durban has been called off due to security concerns in KwaZulu-Natal. A decision on the result and log points will be made at a later stage.
Meanwhile, the action in the First Division was red hot over the weekend as the seven sides start jostling for positions with the semi-finals looming. On average, there were more than 10 tries per game, with the top four sides looking comfortable in the race to the playoffs, but the others can still cause an upset or two.
The Sigma Lions will be keen to move up on the log when they host Tafel Lager Griquas on Wednesday but the men from Johannesburg will not underestimate their visitors who recently showed the Toyota Cheetahs and DHL WP what they are capable of.
The last time the Sigma Lions and Tafel Lager Griquas met, lightning over Kimberley brought an early end to the clash and the visitors were awarded the win (20-17) after the weather conditions forced players off the field.
It happened in the opening round of the 2020 season and Tafel Lager Griquas led by 17-13 at the break, but early in the second half, they conceded a penalty try at a scrum, which was enough to secure the win for the Sigma Lions.
There was similar drama in Bloemfontein when DHL WP travelled north in the 2020 season and managed to sneak a victory over the Toyota Cheetahs, thanks to a Tim Swiel penalty goal on the stroke of full-time to steer the Capetonians to a 31-29 win in round six.
Swiel’s seventh penalty goal came a few minutes after the home team launched a stunning comeback with two quick late tries by Wilmar Arnoldi (hooker) and Rosko Specman (wing) to draw level late in the game.
It was a weekend of big scores and many tries, 32 to be precise, in the Carling Currie Cup First Division, where six of the seven teams are still in with a shout of reaching the playoffs.
The Down Touch Griffons still top the standings, despite losing their first match of the season to the Leopards with these two sides being chased hard at the top of the log by the Boland Kavaliers, who won a one-point thriller in Brakpan to the Valke.
The Leopards had a strong first half and led 24-7 at the break but the Griffons fought back in the second half, although the home side managed to hold on for the win.
The Northern Free Staters’ try-scoring bonus point was enough to secure them a spot in the semi-finals though and they still top the log on 20 points.
The Valke outscored Boland by six tries to five with Anrich Richter contributing 18 points, but it was not enough as the Kavaliers snuck through by one point. Garrick Mattheus converted all five of their tries and added three penalty goals for a personal haul of 19 points.
And down in George, the SWD Eagles got their first win of the season in style when they beat the Border Bulldogs at Outeniqua Park with the home team scoring eight tries to the visitors’ four.
With two rounds left, the Griffons are on 20 points, followed by the Leopards (16), Boland (15), Valke (12), SWD, Border and Eastern Province (all on six). The Griffons and Eagles played one more game though.
