Preview: Currie Cup qualifier, Round 6
Griquas and Leopards, the two front runners on the Currie Cup qualifying log, face crunch matches this coming Saturday which could potentially have a huge impact on their promotion ambitions to the Currie Cup Premier Division.
First-placed Griquas [16 points] travel to the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, to face the Falcons. Leopards [second on 15 points] host third-placed Boland Cavaliers in Potchefstroom. As things stand, it is currently a straight shoot-out between Griquas and Leopards for that vital promotional spot and with just one more round remaining after Saturday's round of games, neither one can afford a slip up.
Five of the seven sides will play their penultimate fixtures of the qualifying campaign this weekend. Boland Cavaliers and SWD Eagles have both played five matches to date while the rest of the sides have played one less encounter.
Boland complete their schedule on Saturday when they travel to Potch to take on the Leopards, while SWD have a bye.
Leopards moved to within a point of Griquas last weekend thanks to a hard-fought 24-20 win over a resilient Griffons in Welkom. While the Potch side are the favourites on their home ground against Boland, they know that nothing but a bonus-point win will keep them in the race. Boland will be no pushovers and last weekend they were deserved winners over the Falcons.
Griquas visit second from bottom Falcons in Kempton Park and the log leaders, who enjoyed a rest last weekend, should be favourites to add another win to their tally of three from four outings so far.
The Griffons are rooted at the bottom of the log with one win from four and only five league points to show and they host the Border Bulldogs [fourth] in the remaining Saturday fixture. Border showed good form during the early rounds, however, two successive defeats have shattered their ambitious promotional hopes.
The three final fixtures take place next Saturday [July 25] and the winner of the qualifying round will compete in the Currie Cup Premier Division, which kicks off on August 7.
Currie Cup qualifiers Round Six fixtures:
Saturday, July 18
Leopards vs Boland Cavaliers
Venue: Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 14.30
Griffons vs Border Bulldogs
Venue: HT Pelatona Projects Stadium, Welkom
Kick-off: 15.00
Falcons vs Griquas
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00