Six teams are still jostling for semi-final places in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup as the Premier Division competition enters its final three weeks of league fixtures.
In Table below Expected points must be interpreted as almost guaranteed points. You fill in the points you feel your team will get.
Rank | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Bonus Points | Points |
1 | |||||||
To Play | Lions(A) | Leopards(H) | WP(A) | ||||
Expected Points | 5 | 51 | |||||
2 | |||||||
To Play | Griquas(H) | Bulls(A) | Sharks(H) | ||||
Expected Points | |||||||
3 | |||||||
To Play | Leopards(A) | WP(H) | Griquas(A) | ||||
Expected Points | 5 | 38 | |||||
4 | |||||||
To Play | Pumas(H) | Lions(H) | Leopards(A) | ||||
Expected Points | 5 | 5 | 42 | ||||
5 | |||||||
To Play | Sharks(H) | Cheetahs(A) | Pumas(H) | ||||
Expected Points | 5 | 36 | |||||
6 | |||||||
To Play | WP(A) | Pumas(A) | Bulls(H) | ||||
Expected Points | |||||||
7 | |||||||
8 |
The Blue Bulls resurrected their title defence at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening following their 24-21 victory over the Lions.
The win for the defending champions ensured that they ended week 11 in third position on the log. They are now only five points (one bonus point victory) away from the second-placed Western Province who are on 38.
The Sharks moved one step closer to finishing the league phase of the Currie Cup Premier Division in pole position after they ran in four tries and secured maximum points from their clash against the Free State Cheetahs (30-16) in Durban on Saturday.
The Durban side is eight points clear of WP who also kept their aspirations of securing a home semifinal alive when they outclassed the Barloworld Toyota Pumas 62-10 in Nelspruit on Friday evening.
In Kimberley the GWK Griquas also kept their chances of qualifying for next month’s playoffs alive after they handed the Platinum Leopards (29-20) their 11 consecutive defeat in the competition on Friday.
The Kimberley side failed to flatter, but still managed to score four tries and achieve maximum points from their clash against the only side in the competition who has yet to win a game this season. The GWK Griquas are in sixth position on the Absa Currie Cup log with 30 points and are only two behind the fourth-placed Vodacom Free State Cheetahs.
The Free State Cheetahs were relegated to fourth position after they failed to bag any points from their trip to The Absa Stadium Durban on Saturday. The Bloemfontein side only scored one try which was added by lock Francois Uys, while The Sharks achieved maximum points from this fixture for scoring four tries.
Rory Kockott, Odwa Ndungane, Willem Alberts and Charl McLeod all added five-pointers for the hosts while flyhalf Patrick Lambie who is currently the leading points’ scorer in this season’s competition (152), kicked two penalties and two conversions.
The Lions who conceded a 24-21 defeat to the Blue Bulls ended week 11 outside the top four and finished the round in fifth position. Both sides scored two tries in this fixture.
Blue Bulls centre Stefan Watermeyer and No 8 Gerrit Jan van Velze were the try-scorers for the hosts while centres Doppies le Grange and Waylon Murray added five-pointers for the Johannesburg side.
Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicked four penalties and converted one try for the defending champions while former SA Under-20 pivot Elton Jantjies kicked three penalties and one conversion for the Lions. WP were in rampant mood in Nelspruit and scored eight tries against the Pumas at the Mbombela Stadium.
Winger Gio Aplon and flanker Francois Louw each scored a brace while centres Juan de Jongh and Jean de Villiers, winger JJ Engelbrecht and substitute centre Paul Bosch added tries for their side.
Flyhalf William de Waal kicked five conversions and two penalties while Vodacom WP Under-21 pivot Gary van Aswegen also converted three tries.
Meanwhile in Kimberley GWK Griquas fullback Riaan Viljoen scored two tries as his side achieved maximum points against the struggling Platinum Leopards. The hosts’ other tries were scored by Johan van Deventer and Justin Downey.
GWK Griquas flyhalf and captain Naas Olivier who is currently the third highest points’ scorer in the 2010 competition kicked three conversions and one penalty.
I would suggest that the semi finalists have been decided, the only question now remains who will end up with the second home semi final.
The Sharks do have two tough matches away, against the Wetern Province and Lions, but even if the Sharks lose both those matches will end up top of the log.
Western Province and the Bulls may still fight it out for second place, but perhaps the Superior points difference would be the decider.
THe cheetahs with two “easier games against the Pumas and leoperds should easily pull through to the 4 spot.
The lions’ most important match now is to beat the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. they would need to win that match with not only a bonus point, but also not give away any bonus points to the cheetahs, and then the Lions would still have to draw against the sharks or get 2 bonus points.
WE want the bulletjies in the semi’s
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