By: Bon Miguela Nhlapo
The race for the Carling Currie Cup semi-final places reaches a crucial stage this weekend, with the sixth round offering teams a final opportunity to stake their claims for a place in the top four.
Round six will see three matches played on Friday before the round concludes with a potentially decisive clash between the Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Currie Cup Friday begins with a heavyweight encounter at Mbombela Stadium, where third on the table Airlink Pumas host defending champions Suzuki Griquas from 15:00.
On the table, the Griquas and the Cheetahs currently share top spot on 21 points each, followed by the Pumas on 17 and Boland on 16 completing the top four. The Fidelity ADT Lions are fifth on 13 points, followed by the DHL Stormers XXIII on 11 and Hollywoodbets Sharks XV on 10, while the Vodacom Bulls XV remain at the bottom on four points.
The Pumas have recovered strongly after losing their opening two games. Their victory over the Stormers XXIII last weekend extended their winning streak to three matches, following previous victories over Boland and the Bulls XV.
A victory in Nelspruit could kick the Pumas above or in line with the current leaders, which puts them firmly in contention for a home semi-final. For the Griquas, an away victory would secure their place in the knockout stages and strengthen their bid to host a semi-final.
At Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls XV and Stormers XXIII will meet for a classic North-South derby at 17:05, with both sides desperate for points. The Bulls XV are still searching for their first victory after five matches and remain stuck at the bottom of the table. Their fifth consecutive defeat to the Cheetahs left them six points behind the Sharks XV.
A victory in Pretoria for the Cape side would move them closer to the playoff contenders heading into the final round, armed with the better form record this season and sitting with two victories from their five matches compared to the Bulls’ winless campaign.
For the last of Currie Cup Friday, we head coastal to see the Sharks XV and Lions meet at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg at 19:15, with both teams needing a victory to keep their semi-final ambitions alive.
The Lions remain only three points behind fourth-placed Kavaliers, meaning a bonus-point victory could potentially lift them into the semi-final positions, depending on results in other games. For the Sharks, victory could mean keeping their hopes alive ahead of their final-round meeting with the Bulls.
The final match of the round could prove decisive when the Cheetahs host Boland at Toyota Stadium on Sunday at 15:00.
Boland has established themselves as one of the competition’s strongest sides. Another away victory could significantly strengthen their position in the top four while simultaneously dashing the Cheetahs’ hopes of claiming first place.
A Cheetahs victory however, could put them in a commanding position to secure a semi-final place while keeping their hopes of finishing top of the table alive.
With just two more rounds remaining after this weekend, every point carries added pressure as the battle for the Carling Currie Cup semi-finals intensifies.