Griquas open race to top spot in Currie Cup
Tafel Lager Griquas blew the race to the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division playoffs wide open on Wednesday and opened the gap for the New Nation Pumas to climb to the top of the log with the halfway mark approaching.
Despite losing dramatically in Cape Town to a spirited Griquas side, DHL Western Province still occupy the top spot on the standings, but if the Lowvelders get the better of the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday, they will rise to first.
The other Premier Division match scheduled for this weekend in Durban between the Cell C Sharks and the Sigma Lions has been cancelled.
Meanwhile, three First Division matches are scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Boland host SWD in Wellington
(13:00) and a big Eastern Cape derby scheduled for East London, where Border will take on Eastern Province
(15:00). The only two unbeaten sides clash when the Valke travel to Welkom to take on the Down Touch Griffons (14:00).
Premier Division
The Pumas will travel to Bloemfontein high on confidence to take on the Cheetahs on Friday afternoon, as victory will lift them above WP to the top of the Premier Division standings.
At the same time, the Free Staters will be looking for their first win of the 2021 Carling Currie Cup after they lost their opener and had their second encounter cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols.
Judging by the last time these two sides met, shortly before Christmas last year, supporters are in for a humdinger. The Cheetahs came away with a 35-31 victory in Nelspruit after both sides scored five tries apiece, with Frans Steyn’s accurate boot the difference in the end.
Steyn isn’t available for the Free Staters this weekend, while the Pumas squad have a settled look at the moment and most of the players who faced the Cheetahs in December are available again this weekend.
Ruan Pienaar will again captain the Cheetahs and in Aidon Davis, Jacques Potgieter and Jeandré Rudolph they have a capable loose trio, while the back three of Clayton Blommetjies, Duncan Saal and Cohen Jasper will be looking for attacking opportunities.
First Division
Victory for the Griffons over the Valke at Griffons Stadium on Saturday afternoon will consolidate the Northern Free Staters’ spot at the top of the First Division standings, but they will have taken notice of the East Randers’ last-gasp win over the Leopards last weekend.
Should the Valke walk away with a bonus-point win and keep their hosts from getting any log points, the men from the East Rand will leapfrog both the Leopards and Griffons into first place on the log after four rounds.
In the other matches, SWD and Border will be looking for their first victories of the season against the Boland Kavaliers and EP respectively.
Boland lost to EP last weekend and will be keen to get back to winning ways against the Eagles in Wellington, while the Elephants will be looking on building some momentum when they head to East London to take on the Bulldogs.
The Leopards, second on the log, have a bye this weekend.
