Currie Cup Round Four - Teams and Predictions
PREVIEW: The 2026 Currie Cup has already delivered its fair share of twists and turns, and Round Four promises another weekend of high-quality domestic rugby with every fixture carrying genuine significance.
Just three points separate the top five teams on the standings, while there are no unbeaten sides left in the competition after last weekend’s dramatic results. Every bonus point, every home fixture and every victory is becoming increasingly valuable in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Currie Cup campaigns in recent memory.
The weekend opens in Kimberley with a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash between defending champions Griquas and log leaders the Lions.
Action then shifts to Pretoria, where the Bulls XV finally return to Loftus Versfeld looking to kick-start their campaign against the Pumas, while the Sharks XV welcome the Boland Kavaliers to Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu.
Round Four concludes on Sunday at Athlone Stadium, where the Stormers XXIII host the Cheetahs in another fixture that could have major implications in the race for the semifinals.
The Lions lead the standings on 12 points, followed closely by Griquas and the Cheetahs on 11, Boland on 10 and the Stormers XXIII on nine.
Saturday’s meeting at Suzuki Stadium has all the ingredients of a classic.
Griquas once again showed why they are the defending champions by grinding out a hard-fought 24-21 victory over the Cheetahs last weekend. They crossed for four tries and, more importantly, absorbed enormous second-half pressure to preserve an important victory.
The Lions were equally impressive.
Their dominant 42-19 victory over the Bulls XV in the Jukskei Derby sent a clear message to the rest of the competition as they climbed to the top of the standings.
Both teams have won two of their opening three matches and possess dangerous attacking threats capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. Expect a fast-paced encounter between two sides that are equally comfortable playing with width or through direct physicality.
Griquas famously edged the Lions 27-25 in last season’s Currie Cup Final despite the Johannesburg side enjoying home-ground advantage, while the Lions hold a narrow 3-2 edge across the last five meetings between the teams.
However, Kimberley remains one of the most difficult away venues in South African rugby.
The pressure is already mounting on the Bulls XV.
Three rounds into the competition, the Pretoria side remains without a victory and has collected just a single log point while conceding 122 points.
Their clash against the Pumas suddenly feels like far more than another league fixture.
Jimmy Stonehouse’s side arrives in Pretoria with renewed confidence after becoming the only away team to claim victory in Round Three, defeating the previously unbeaten Boland Kavaliers 20-15 in Wellington.
Although the Pumas have only one victory from three outings, valuable bonus points have kept them firmly within touching distance of the leading pack.
They also hold a slight psychological advantage, winning three of the last five meetings against the Bulls.
The Sharks XV return home knowing performances alone are no longer enough.
Featuring four members of South Africa’s victorious 2026 Junior Springbok squad, the Durban outfit has shown flashes of exciting attacking rugby but has struggled to put together complete 80-minute performances.
Last week’s 28-36 defeat to the Stormers XXIII was another example.
There were encouraging passages with ball in hand, but defensive lapses ultimately proved costly as the Sharks slipped to seventh place with six log points.
Meanwhile, Boland suffered their first setback of the campaign after losing to the Pumas.
Despite that defeat, the Kavaliers continue to impress following their return to the Currie Cup, playing with confidence and belief under pressure.
History also suggests another close contest.
The last meeting between these sides was decided after the final hooter when Siya Masuku slotted an injury-time penalty to hand the Sharks a dramatic 33-31 victory.
Sunday’s encounter in Cape Town could prove one of the defining fixtures of the round.
The Stormers XXIII responded superbly after their heavy defeat to Boland by beating the Sharks XV 36-28 to move within touching distance of the competition leaders.
The Cheetahs, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the season after falling 21-24 to Griquas in Kimberley.
Despite the disappointment, head coach Frans Steyn believes his young side continues to make encouraging progress.
“I think we’ve come a long way. You could see that on the weekend. I’m happy with where we are, but disappointed that we couldn’t get the win.
“We’re not there yet. They’re champions for a reason, but I thought the players who came in stepped up. The gap between the players is getting smaller, and that’s a positive for us.”
One area still requiring attention is the Cheetahs’ scrum.
The Free Staters have battled for consistency at set-piece time this season, and they face another stern examination against a Stormers pack that continues to improve every week.
Steyn acknowledged the growing pains his young front row is experiencing.
“We’ve got 22 and 24-year-old props. The only way they’re going to learn is by being in those situations.
“We know where the problems are. We have to find solutions. We chose this route at the beginning of the season, and now we need to back those players and make them better.”
While the Cheetahs travel to Cape Town having won each of their previous seven meetings against the Stormers, the hosts know exactly what challenge awaits.
Returning flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis expects another expansive contest.
“Everybody knows the Cheetahs’ DNA. They like to entertain, they like to keep the ball alive and attack.
“But they’ve also got experienced decision-makers like Faf de Klerk, Jaco van der Walt and Clayton Blommetjies. They’ll assess the conditions and adapt if they need to.
“We’ve analysed them thoroughly this week. We know what to expect because once they get momentum, they’re incredibly difficult to stop.”
With the standings so tightly packed and every point becoming increasingly valuable, Round Four could be the weekend that begins to separate the genuine title contenders from the chasing pack.
See all the teams and predictions below!
Saturday, August 8
Griquas v Lions
(Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley – Kick-off: 13.00; 11.00 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Griquas by five points
Teams:
Griquas: 15 Stefan Coetzee, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 11 Gurswin Wehr, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Carel van der Merwe, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 IG Prinsloo, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 Leon Lyons.
Replacements: 16 Janus Venter, 17 Eddie Davids, 18 Ntobeko Shezi, 19 Derik Pretorius, 20 Dillon smith, 21 Jack Hart, 22 Sako Makata, 23 Connor Mohaney
Lions: 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Keagan Smith, 13 Likhona Finca, 12 Rynhardt Jonker, 11 Jason Hugo, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Asad Moos, 8 Morné Venter, 7 Jarod Cairns (captain), 6 Thando Biyela, 5 Dylan Sjöblom, 4 Tiaan Wessels, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Mahle Sithole, 1 Morgan Naude
Replacements: 16 Ruan Welman, 17 Cecil Parsons, 18 Ruan Swart, 19 JD Hattingh, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Layton Horn, 22 Exauce Kevani, 23 Luke Cannon
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby, Stiaan Marx
TMO: Egon Seconds
Bulls XV v Pumas
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – Kick-off: 15.05; 13.05 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Pumas by 12 points
Teams:
Bulls XV: 15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Riyaad Bam, 13 Demitre Erasmus, 12 Christiaan Vlok, 11 Lindsey Jansen, 10 Devon Williams, 9 Keagan Johannes (captain), 8 Dieter Schubert, 7 Abongile Nonkontwana, 6 Kebotile Maake, 5 Sintu Manjezi, 4 Johnathan Eloff, 3 Jean Erasmus, 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele, 1 Dylan Smith
Replacements: 16 Jon Hobson, 17 Damian Baker, 18 Dian Coetzee, 19 Jacques Swarts, 20 Cephas van Biljon, 21 Thomas Beling, 22 Brooklyn Newman, 23 Aka Boqwana
Pumas: 15 Jaycee Nel, 14 Alfonso Isaacs, 13 Sango Xamlashe (vice-captain), 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Banie Britz, 10 Nevaldo Fleurs, 9 Thomas Bursey, 8 Willie Engelbrecht (captain), 7 Ruwald van der Merwe, 6 Ntsika Fisanti, 5 Tiaan de Klerk, 4 JJ Scheepers, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Chyle van Zyl, 1 Etienne Janeke.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Kudzwai Dube, 18 Junior Banda, 19 Stephan Krugel, 20 Thabo Ndimande, 21 Russwill Fredericks, 22 Tino Swanepoel, 23 Darren Adonis.
Referee: Dylen November
Assistant referees: Juan de Bod, Luvuyo Maceba
TMO: Quinton Immelman
Sharks XV v Boland Kavaliers
(Princess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu, Durban – Kick-off: 17.15; 15.15 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Boland by seven points
Teams:
Sharks XV: 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Christie Grobbelaar, 13 Lyle Matthews, 12 Janco Purchase 11 Khuthi Rasivhaga, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Ross Braude (captain), 8 Tino Mavasere, 7 Johan Momsen, 6 Willem van den Hever, 5 Deon Slabbert, 4 Meno Barnard, 3 Simphiwe Ngobese, 2 Bryce Calvert, 1 Rambo Kubheka
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Jaco du Toit, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Hanu Pieterse, 20 Wasi Vyambwera, 21 Juan Loots, 22 Albie Bester, 23 Chijindu Okonta
Boland Kavaliers: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Xavier Mitchell, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Jayden Bantom, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (captain), 7 Khwezi Mafu, 6 Gift Dlamini, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Johnré Stopforth, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Joshua Eras, 1 Mthokozisi Gumede
Replacements: 16 Darnell Osuagwu, 17 Dewald Maritz, 18 Heiko Pohlmann, 19 Jeandré Leonard, 20 Taine Booysen, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Chris Smit, 23 James Tedder
Referee: Christopher Allison
Assistant referees: Caleb Hibbert & Lulutho Matomela
TMO: Marius Jonker
Sunday, August 9
Stormers XXIII v Cheetahs
(Athlone Stadium, Cape Town – Kick-off: 15.00; 13.00 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Stormers XXIII by three points
Teams:
Stormers XXIII: 15 Dylan Miller, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Markus Muller, 12 Josh Boulle, 11 Mfundo Ndhlovu, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis (captain), 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Divan Fuller, 7 Louw Nel, 6 Xola Nyali, 5 Gary Porter, 4 Tom Barnard, 3 Herman Lubbe, 2 Vernon Paulo, 1 Mhleli Khuzwayo.
Replacements: 16 Altus Rabe, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Danie Kruger, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Luan Botha, 21 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 22 Kyle Smith, 23 Gino Cupido.
Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Michael Annies, 13 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 12 Zander du Plessis, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 10 Ethan Wentzel, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Neels Volschenk, 7 Juan Venter, 6 Ramon Uys, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Simon Miller, 3 Frankie Dos Reis, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Tebogo Nkosi
Replacements: 16 Juan Smal, 17 Tielman Niewoudt, 18 Aranos Coetzee, 19 Curtly Thomas, 20 Daniel Maartens, 21 Sisonke Vumazonke, 22 Cohen Jasper, 23 Jooste Nel
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
Assistant referees: Juan de Bod, Charlwin Daries
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen
