Preview: First Division, Round 10
The Pumas will look to keep in touch with runaway log leaders the Eastern Province Kings when they host the SWD Eagles in a vital First Division Round 10 match at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday.
With only four rounds remaining of the competition, the Pumas, on 32 points, are eight adrift of the Kings and in danger of slipping further behind unless they are able to reverse the 16-22 defeat they suffered at the hands of the fifth-placed Eagles in George last month.
In Saturday's other match, the Leopards, who have improved steadily since the arrival of veteran Springbok flyhalf André Pretorius, but still find themselves in fourth, 13 points behind the Kings, host defending champions the Boland Cavaliers at Olén Park in Potchefstroom.
The Cavaliers have experienced a nightmare season, with six losses and a draw in their nine games to date – with one of those defeats coming at the hands of the Leopards (23-21) when the two sides met in Malmesbury last month.
Round 10 kicks off on Friday with two matches in the Eastern Cape.
The EP Kings, with eight wins and a draw thus far, will look to extend their lead at the top of the standings and keep intact their unbeaten record when they take on the sixth-placed Falcons at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
The Falcons, with three wins under their belts this season, have once again displayed ample amounts of their trademark never-say-die attitude, but they will have to rely on more than dogged determination if they are to reverse their 37-20 home defeat to the Kings in Kempton Park last month.
Friday's other match sees the winless Border Bulldogs host the third-placed Griffons at the Buffalo City Municipal Stadium in East London, with Bulldogs fans hoping their side can finally begin their climb up from the bottom of the table against the men from Welkom – who managed to eke out a 29-24 home win when they two sides met in the first round.
Leopards flyhalf André Pretorius has moved to the top of the First Division point-scoring log after Round Nine, with 93 points made up of 24 conversions, 13 penalties and two drop-goals. Just one point behind Pretorius in second place is the Pumas' JC Roos on 92, with EP Kings flyhalf George Whitehead on 91.
Leopards wing Allister Kettledas still leads the try-scoring stakes with eight touchdowns, although he has been joined at the top of the pile by JW Bell of the Falcons, with Leopards teammates Danie Dames and Philip de Wet on seven.
Round 10 fixtures:
EP Kings v Falcons
Date: Friday, August 31
Kick-off: 19.00
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistants: Christie du Preez, Cobus Wessels
Last meeting: 14 July in Kempton Park (First round): Kings won 37-20
Border Bulldogs v Griffons
Date: Friday, August 31
Kick-off: 19.00
Venue: Buffalo City Municipal Stadium, East London
Referee: Sindile Mayende
Assistants: Lusanda Jam, Loyiso Bosman
Last meeting: 13 July in Welkom (First round): Griffons won 29-24
Pumas v SWD Eagles
Date: Saturday, September 1
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Referee: Joey Salmans
Assistants: Stefan Breytenbach, Stephan Geldenhuys
Last meeting: 13 July in George (First round): Eagles won 22-16
Leopards v Boland Cavaliers
Date: Saturday, September 1
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Olén Park, Potchefstroom
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistants: Jaco van Heerden, James van Oudtshoorn
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
Last meeting: 13 July in Malmesbury (First round): Leopards won 23-21
