The Currie Cup careens into crunch time this weekend as the scramble for playoff places intensifies in the penultimate round of the regular season, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
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Seven of the eight teams remain in the hunt for semi-final places, with 11 points separating the pace-setting Griquas and seventh-placed Sharks. The Cheetahs are tied with the Peacock Blues on 21 but second due to points difference.
The Pumas are third on 17, while the Boland Kavaliers round off the top four on 16. The Lions are three points back in fifth, followed by the Stormers XXIII on 11 and the Sharks XV on 10, while the winless Bulls XV are out of the running with just four points.
There are three games on Friday, starting with the clash between the Pumas and Griquas in Nelspruit. From there, it’s off to Pretoria for the North-South derby, followed by a trip to Pietermaritzburg, where the Sharks XV play host to the Lions.
A battle in Bloemfontein between the Cheetahs and the Boland Kavaliers on Sunday afternoon wraps up the weekend’s action.
Pumas vs Griquas
Friday, 21 August – 15:00
This rivalry has ignited in recent years, with the two unions rising to the top of the domestic game where they’ve collided in pivotal clashes.
The Pumas famously beat the Peacock Blues 26-19 in the 2022 final to claim their maiden Currie Cup title, while they’ve also met in all three deciders of the SA Cup, with Griquas winning the first and the Lowvelders the next two.
This is such a tough game to predict. Griquas are full value for their place at the top of the table, having won four straight. The Pumas, however, have recovered from their poor start to win three on the bounce. Plus, they’ve won the last six Currie Cup meetings in this rivalry.
That history says Jimmy Stonehouse’s men should prevail at home, but I’ve been so impressed with Griquas that I’m tipping the defending champions to edge it.
Prediction: Griquas by 2.
Bulls XV vs Stormers XXIII
Friday, 21 August – 17:05
A day before the start of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test series, the greatest rivals within South African rugby go at it once again at Loftus Versfeld.
Traditional titans of Currie Cup rugby, the Bulls have won the title 25 times, while the Stormers XXIII boast a record 34 titles under their former name, Western Province.
Times have changed, though, with the competition losing its stature as the be-all and end-all of South African rugby. As a result, the Bulls haven’t lifted the trophy since 2021, and they are winless this season.
After serving as also-rans the last couple of seasons, the Stormers XXIII have lifted their game this year and given themselves a shot at returning to the playoffs. To keep their hopes of a first title since 2017 alive, though, they have to win this one.
The Bulls will be up for this one against their arch-rivals, but the Capetonians have more to play for and have shown more promise than the young side from Pretoria, having beaten both Griquas and the Sharks XV.
Thus, my money is on the Stormers XXIII.
Prediction: Stormers XXIII by 5.
Sharks XV vs Lions
Friday, 21 August – 19:15
Outside of the top four, neither of these teams can afford to lose this clash at Woodburn Stadium.
The last time the Sharks XV played at the Pietermaritzburg venue, Siya Masuku slotted a last-gasp penalty goal to snatch a 33-31 win for the hosts over Boland this time last year.
Down in seventh place, the Durbanites dropped to 2-3 after last weekend’s 55-21 defeat in Kimberley, the same record as the fifth-placed Lions, who lost 29-38 to the Kavaliers last weekend but have managed more bonus points than the Sharks XV.
The youthful Sharks XV punched above their weight in their wins over the Pumas and Kavaliers, but the Lions have more firepower and, with more focus on their defence, they should deliver the knockout blow to the Durbanites.
Prediction: Lions by 4.
Cheetahs vs Boland Kavaliers
Sunday, 23 August – 15:00
Breathing down log-leading Griquas’ necks, the Cheetahs will be out to make the most of their home ground advantage in this crunch clash against the fourth-placed Kavaliers.
The men from Bloemfontein have a licence to thrill, but they pushed the boundaries up in Pretoria last weekend. Racing into a commanding 59-17 lead, they let off the gas and allowed the Bulls XV back into the game, ultimately winning 62-52.
Given how tight things are on the table, and that Boland showed their fighting spirit to pull off a 38-29 comeback win over the Lions in Johannesburg last weekend, you’d think the Cheetahs have learned their lesson and will remain switched on for the full 80 minutes to get the desired result against the dangerous visitors.
Prediction: Cheetahs by 9.
Quintin van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 20 years of experience.
