Push for Currie Cup playoff spots intensifies after shock results shake up standings

The Cheetahs went from virtual shoo-ins for a home semi-final in the Currie Cup to needing to win their last league game of the season next weekend to potentially secure a place in the playoffs, after their 40-10 thrashing by the Griquas on Friday that kicked off Round Six of the competition.

Friday’s loss at the Free State Stadium left the Cheetahs in fourth place on 21 points. It also opened the door for the Lions to draw level on points with the Free Staters after their bonus-point 44-5 victory over the Bulls in Saturday’s crunch derby clash that shut the door on the Bulls’ slim playoff hopes. 

The Lions moved up one spot, to third in the table, thanks to a superior points difference. 

The biggest movers at the weekend, however, were the Griquas, who shot from third place to first on 25 points, with their bonus-point triumph. Their spot in the final four is secured, but they could still lose out on a home semi-final should they lose next weekend against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday (5pm kick-off).

That mouthwatering encounter is shaping up as a duel for a home semi.  

The Bulls and the Sharks XV, both on 10 points, are out of contention for the post-season, along with basement dwellers Western Province, who are still searching for a first win of the campaign. All three teams could still have a say in the final make-up of the top four, however. 

The revitalised Sharks face the fifth-placed Pumas, who are one point behind the Cheetahs and Lions, at Kings Park on Friday night (7pm kick-off). The Sharks will be buoyed by their dramatic 33-31 win over the Cavaliers after the hooter had sounded at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night. The visitors from Boland only managed to hang on to second spot thanks to two losing bonus points.

Jimmy Stonehouse’s Pumas side kept the pressure on their rivals with a come-from-behind 39-13 win over Province in Cape Town on Saturday, where they found their groove after a slow start.

They will have to dig deep once again to keep their playoff chances alive and hope for a slip-up by those above them. Should points difference decide the fourth spot, the Pumas have the edge over the Cheetahs.

The Free State side face the Bulls at Loftus in the last match of the weekend on Saturday (7.05pm kick-off). It could be a tricky encounter for the visitors should the Bulls pack their side with United Rugby Championship stars as they ramp up preparations for the premier competition.

It is an option a number of South Africa’s URC sides might take, making the final Currie Cup log positions difficult to call and adding to the drama of the final round of league fixtures.

“When the weekend started, we were fourth on the log, and I didn’t expect the Cheetahs to get done by the Griquas in that fashion. Our challenge as management is to see if we can service all teams at large,” Lions Currie Cup head coach Mziwakhe Nkosi said at the media conference after the derby win.

“There’s a variety of permutations that can happen. The first URC game is after the Currie Cup, so there might have to be a balancing or prioritisation of one or the other. We should have, come the end of next week, 42 or 45 players who can try go all the way in the Currie Cup and, more importantly, have a good launching pad for the URC.”