Kings to feel Pumas' wrath
The Eastern Province Kings could be at the receiving end of a Pumas backlash in their Currie Cup encounter in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
After a great start to the season, that saw them as genuine contenders for a semifinal berth, the Pumas have come unstuck in recent weeks – four consecutive defeats.
The men from Nelspruit now find themselves in a precarious position, needing a comprehensive bonus-point win over the Kings to keep alive their slim hopes of a spot in the play-offs.
They currently occupy sixth position on the standings, two points behind fourth-placed Blue Bulls.
This means they have to convincingly beat the EP Kings and hope the Bulls (fourth) and the fifth-placed Cheetahs come unstuck in their respective matches – against Griquas and the Lions.
That will allow the Pumas to claim the remaining semifinal spot. Western Province, the Golden Lions and Sharks have already qualified for the play-offs.
If that wasn't enough pressure, there's also the possibility of finishing outside of the Top Six.
If they end up below sixth, they will have to take part in the promotional/relegation/qualifying tournament with teams from the First Division.
Coach Jimmy Stonehouse, obviously disappointed with his team's performance against the Bulls last week, remains optimistic about the Pumas' slim chances of leapfrogging the teams above them.
"That is how teams have gotten into the semis before, so we hoping it happens to us," Stonehouse said of the intriguing twists that needs to unfold in the final round, adding: "But we must end the season off with a victory.
"We've tried from the beginning [of the competition] to avoid the promotion/relegation zone.
"It's not nice to have that axe hanging over our heads but we are still in with a chance and we hope things will go our way," he said.
The Nelspruit side head into their final league match against the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth without their influential No.8 Renaldo Bothma, whose season came to an end after suffering a horrific injury against the Bulls.
The injury, which ended his hopes of being part of Namibia's end-of-year tour, left him with a cheekbone fractured in three places.
Despite losing such a key player, Stonehouse believes it now creates a chance for someone else to display their skills.
"It's hard to lose such a key player [Bothma] but it gives someone else a chance. All the players still wants to be here and are ready to do the job. The spirit in the camp remains high," he added.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
