Two teams in a battle for the SA Cup summit
PREVIEW: The SA Cup will kick into a higher gear this weekend when the two top teams on the table, Griquas and the Pumas, will battle it out for the top spot in Kimberley on Friday afternoon.
With both teams tied at the summit of the standings, each boasting 30 points, this match could give one of the sides the inside lane to hosting the final later this month.
Four more matches are scheduled for Saturday, with the next three teams on the log – the Griffons, Cheetahs, and Boland Cavaliers – all facing tricky trips away from home to stay in touch with the front-runners, and there is a mouth-watering Eastern Cape derby on the menu too.
As it stands, Griquas holds a slight edge over the Pumas with a better points difference. This highly anticipated match will showcase the team from the Northern Cape, the current top attacking team with an impressive 432 points, against the visitors from Mpumalanga, known for their formidable defence, having conceded only 35 points in six games.
Five points adrift from the log leaders in third place, the Griffons will aim to narrow the gap as they take on the SWD Eagles, placed sixth, in George on Saturday. Hometown advantage will be on the side of the Eagles, and the Griffons, buoyed by their stellar form, will seek to capitalize on their recent successes, having suffered only one defeat – to Griquas – this season.
The Leopards, coming off a tough loss to the Pumas in round six, are eager to emulate their victorious performances from the previous two rounds, against Eastern Province and the Border Bulldogs, when senior provincial rugby heads to Leeudoringstad, southwest of Potchefstroom.
However, the men from North West will face the resolute Boland Cavaliers squad, fresh off a dominant 106-7 win over the Bulldogs. Positioned in the middle of the log with three wins and three losses, the Bolanders promise to offer stiff competition.
The Cheetahs, riding high after a convincing win against the SWD Eagles, seek to secure a top-three position as they clash with the Valke in Kempton Park.
With four wins in their last six games, the Free Staters will try to capitalize on their momentum, but the Falcons, currently tied with Eastern Province at eight points each, are determined to stay out of the bottom two spots. The Falcons sit eighth on the log, edging EP on points’ difference.
Rounding off the round’s action will be an Eastern Cape derby between the bottom two teams in Gqeberha. Eastern Province will host the Border Bulldogs, aiming to distance themselves further from the foot of the table.
Winless in the competition, the Bulldogs are desperate for a turnaround as they look to salvage their season and get some points on the board.
The SA Cup fixtures:
Griquas vs Pumas
Date: Friday, May 3
Venue: Kimberley Stadium, Kimberley
Referee: AJ Jacobs
SA Time: 14.30
SWD Eagles vs Griffons
Date: Saturday, May 4
Venue: Outeniqua Park, George
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
SA Time: 14.30
Leopards vs Boland Kavaliers
Date: Saturday, May 4
Venue: Leeudoringstad Rugby Club, Leeudoringstad
Referee: Paul Mente
SA Time: 15.00
Falcons vs Cheetahs
Date: Sunday, May 4
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
SA Time: 15.00
Eastern Province vs Border Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, May 4
Venue: Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Nelson Mandela
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
SA Time: 15.00
