The road to play-offs goes through Bloem
The Blue Bulls and Sharks are in the positions of power.
Western Province, the Lions and Free State Cheetahs are scrambling for the remaining two play-off spots.
The common denominator in this mad scramble – the first time the Currie Cup is contested over the festive season – is the defending champion Cheetahs.
This past weekend’s results – the Lions upsetting WP 22-19 and the Bulls demolishing the Cheetahs 40-13 – left us with this electrifying run-in to the semifinals (Saturday, January 16) and Final (Saturday, January 23).
Province coach John Dobson admitted his team has left themselves in deep water.
They have lost back-to-back matches in the opening weeks of the Currie Cup half of South Africa’s revamped domestic competition and need some big wins in the remaining weeks.
They are not the only vulnerable team.
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Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie admitted the road to the play-offs is going to be challenging.
“It will be difficult,” the defending champions’ coach said, adding: “We started off well [in the Super Rugby Unlocked leg], but we lost a lot of players and had a lot of injuries as well.
“The team is a bit depleted.”
He spoke of the need to “show character” and work hard and get back on track as soon as possible.
“We have the Lions next week, at home, luckily,” he said.
“It will also be a difficult game.”
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He admitted the biggest challenge will be the revitalised Lions’ high-tempo game.
“We will have to go back and have a look at the game [the Cheetahs’ loss to the Bulls] and see where it went wrong – especially in the second half.
“Half-time we were in it, but the Bulls dominated us in the second half.”
He admitted the Cheetahs and Lions are now locked in a tight race for the play-offs.
“That will be a big game for both teams,” he said of this coming Saturday’s Bloemfontein outing.
“We want to finish in the top four and it will be really important for us to get a win next week against the Lions.
“We will analyse our own game [against the Bulls] and look at the Lions’ game [win over WP].
“We have a lot of work to do, as most parts of our game was below par [against the Bulls].”
After hosting the Lions this week, the Cheetahs face the Pumas (in Nelspruit), then host the Sharks (Bloemfontein), are at home to Province (Bloemfontein) and travel to Kimberley to conclude their league fixture against Griquas.
They still have their destiny in their own hands, as they have a couple of important games on their home turn.
One of those, on January 2, has also been highlighted by the Province coach, Dobson, as key to their campaign.
Their loss to the Lions left WP with a prickly run-up to the play-offs.
“I think we’re under a little bit more pressure,” Dobson said after the loss at Ellis Park.
“We’re probably going to have to go somewhere like Bloemfontein and win, which will be tough.”
The bitterly disappointed Province coach lamented the fact that for two weeks in a row his team coughed up a lead to lose close calls – 20-22 to the Bulls at Newlands and 19-22 to the Lions in Johannesburg.
“We are under pressure,”Dobson admitted, adding: “We are a little bit disappointed.”
Province’s run-in to the play-offs start when they host the Pumas this coming Friday, followed by a bye, they then host Griquas at Newlands, before the all important trip to Bloemfontein (to face the Cheetahs on January 2).
They then conclude their league fixtures with another BIG game – hosting the Sharks at Newlands on January 9.
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