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FT
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Thursday
21:00
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
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Friday
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Friday
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Friday
21:00

Road to the play-offs: Lions are safe

By Online Editors
Monday 1 Oct 2012

With just two rounds of league action remaining the first team has booked a spot in the Currie Cup play-offs.

The defending champion Golden Lions are now the only team that is guaranteed a place in the semifinals later this month.

The Lions, three points clear at the top of the standings, need just two more points to book home ground advantage in the semis. They will hope to do that when they travel to Kimberley to face Griquas – one of just two teams this season to have beaten them. The other outfit was the Sharks, in Durban.

Given how important home ground advantage is in the play-offs, as the Lions proved last year in winning their first Currie Cup in 12 years, the Lions may be doing more than just looking for revenge against Griquas – they will be out for a full five points in Kimberley.

Although the second-placed Sharks can, theoretically, still drop out of the top four, it is almost certain they will secure their spot when they travel to Bloemfontein this weekend. They need just one more point to book their place.

The third-placed Western Province – eight points down on the Lions and five behind the Sharks – also have it in their own hands. They face the Blue Bulls this week and can knock their arch rivals out of the competition at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.

The Free State Cheetahs, Griquas and Bulls are the teams in real trouble, as they are effectively in a shoot-out for the fourth play-off spot.

Jan de Koning looks at each team's road to the play-offs!

Golden Lions:

Current position: First

Best possible finish: First

Worst possible finish: Third

Remaining matches:

Versus Griquas away

Versus Blue Bulls at home

Sharks:

Current position: Second

Best possible finish: First

Worst possible finish: Fifth

Remaining matches:

Versus Free State Cheetahs away

Versus Griquas at home

Western Province:

Current position: Third

Best possible finish: First

Worst possible finish: Sixth

Remaining matches:

Versus Blue Bulls away

Versus Free State Cheetahs at home

Free State Cheetahs:

Current position: Fourth

Best possible finish: Second

Worst possible finish: Sixth

Remaining matches:

Versus Sharks at home

Versus Western Province away

Griquas:

Current position: Fifth

Best possible finish: Second

Worst possible finish: Sixth

Remaining matches:

Versus Golden Lions at home

Versus Sharks away

Blue Bulls:

Current position: Sixth

Best possible finish: Third

Worst possible finish: Sixth

Remaining matches:

Versus Western Province at home

Versus Golden Lions away

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Trending

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