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Currie Cup wrap: Pumas lead the way as URC players set to join the action
The race for the top spots is set to become a whole lot hotter as more experienced URC players join the competition.
Chris Smit of the Bulls is tackled by two Lions players during their Currie Cup game at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
With the Lions out of the United Rugby Championship, expect a number of players, if not all, to now don the Currie Cup jersey as the Joburg-based team look to reignite their 2023 campaign.
The Currie Cup competition has reached the halfway stage and the Lions — with a young team — are down in seventh place with just two wins from their seven games for 14 points.
But they’ll be boosted from this week with several more experienced players set to enter the action.
The Lions’ last outing was a 19-30 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and they next face the defending champions and log leaders, the Pumas, at home on Friday.
Bulls resurgence
The Bulls meanwhile, following Jake White taking charge of the team from Edgar Marutlulle, have won their last three games after losing their first four and sit in fifth place with 17 points.
Their turn-around has been impressive, and like the Stormers and Sharks, who are also still involved in the URC, but are not in action again in that competition for the next two weeks, one’s got to wonder whether they will use their URC players this coming week?
Western Province (Stormers) suffered a setback on Friday when they were edged by the Pumas in Nelspruit, 24-25, with replacement flyhalf Brandon Thomson kicking a last-gasp penalty to win it for the defending champions, who sit at the top of the points table with 29 points from six wins.
Western Province are sixth, having won just three times for their 16 points.
Cheetahs
In second place and at this stage possibly the Pumas’ biggest rivals for the title this year are the Cheetahs with 26 points from five wins. Their 17-24 loss to the Sharks in Bloemfontein on Friday was just their second defeat of the season and allowed the Sharks to move into third place with 19 points, and open up the race for the top two spots.
Griquas, thanks to their 42-20 win against the Griffons in Kimberley on Sunday, have moved up to fourth with 19 points from four wins, while the Griffons are still bottom of the log with one win and seven points from their seven games.
