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Heading into the final two rounds of the Currie Cup regular season, there is a lot to play for. ANDRE-PIERRE CRONJE look at the permutations.
TOROS VODACOM – 35 points.
The Bulls are currently at the top of the table with 35 points and a four-point lead over Western Province in second place. The men in blue may have already done enough to qualify for the knockouts, but more important will be their goal of finishing at the top of the record and securing a semi-final at home.
To this end, Bulls fans will be relieved that their decisive game against the Lions has been rearranged for January 6 and has not been canceled. If the Bulls can get six points in their next two games against the Lions and Pumas, they won’t be caught. They will be aiming for the full five points against the Pumas in the final round and that means that even losing a bonus point against the Lions could be enough.
WESTERN PROVINCE – 31 points.
WP has made a late charge in the competition and with the Sharks taking off in the last two games, they have moved into second place with 31 points. Now they will be looking to catch the Bulls who are just four points ahead. To do so, they will need to outperform both the Cheetahs this week and the Sharks next week (getting a bonus point somewhere) and hope the Bulls lose at least one of their two remaining games (and get no bonus -points ). A big order.
If WP finishes at the Bulls’ level, they are unlikely to have a better point difference and therefore to top the table they must have more points directly. If they finish second, they will still play their semifinal at home, but the competition is such that even the Cheetahs in fifth place are only five points behind Province. That makes this weekend’s clash in Bloemfontein crucial. Two losses to end his season and Province could miss the playoffs entirely.
LIONS – 29 points.
The Lions are currently in third place and unlikely to be able to catch the Bulls at the top of the record (to do so, the Bulls would lose to them and the Cougars). They are more likely to aim to jump the province to second place and in doing so secure a semi-final in Johannesburg.
They will face an uphill battle given they only have a four-day change between this weekend’s game against the Pumas and their final-round game against the Bulls, who top the table. With Province in their sights and the Sharks on their heels, the Lions have the advantage of knowing that the final-round clash between these two sides means it is impossible for both coastal teams to win their last two games. Therefore, beating the Pumas, with a bonus point if possible, will be non-negotiable in the Lions pursuit.
SHARKS – 28 points.
The wheels have come off slightly for the Sharks in the past two weeks after they suffered heavy losses to the Lions and Cheetahs. At one point they had a good chance of breaking the record, but now they languish in fourth place and struggle to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Durbanitas’ next two games against Griquas and Province are both an opportunity and a trap. A big win against the former this week is expected to get their campaign back on track and if the Cheetahs lose their game against Province this weekend, the Sharks will feel confident about making the playoffs.
If they then beat Province in the final round (depending on what happens to the Lions), they can even sneak into second place and play the semi-final in Durban. However, a loss in any of their final games, and the Cheetahs may have a nose for taking them to the playoffs.
CHEETAH – 26 points.
Two points behind the Sharks, the Cheetahs are currently out of the playoff spots and will have two weeks to rectify this. You feel like his game this week in Bloemfontein against Western Province will make or break his season. They lose and for all the money they are out of the competition, they win and they will feel like their fate is in their own hands when they head to Kimberley for the final round against the Griquas.
Last week, the Cheetahs produced a brilliant performance to completely surpass the Sharks. After their unceremonious (and unfair) abandonment of the Pro16, Cheetahs fans will be hoping their team will make another ‘Big Four’ nose bleed. Reaching the playoffs before one of their replacement teams in next year’s European competition will be a symbolic victory for Bloem’s men.
PUMAS AND GRIQUAS
Sorry guys and girls, but in the absence of a late Christmas miracle, this will not be your year! With that being said, there are still plenty of opportunities to play king makers. A disturbance to either side is likely to fundamentally change the composition of the logs. The Pumas can look to target the Lions this weekend at home and the Griquas could have a chance to beat the Cheetahs in the final round.
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