Currie Cup final between Cheetahs and Pumas

The two 2023 Currie Cup semi-finals will took place on Saturday, 17 June in Bloemfontein and Durban. Photo: SA Rugby.

Currie Cup: Semi-final race speeds up

The race for Currie Cup semi-final places will intensify this weekend, with teams outside the top four anxious to get back to winning ways.

Currie Cup final between Cheetahs and Pumas

The two 2023 Currie Cup semi-finals will took place on Saturday, 17 June in Bloemfontein and Durban. Photo: SA Rugby.

The race for Currie Cup semi-final places will intensify this weekend, with teams outside the top four anxious to get back to winning ways.

With five rounds remaining before the Currie Cup Premier Division playoffs, the Cheetahs are two log points clear of the second-placed Pumas at the top of the standings.

Currie Cup action on the go

Six points separate the defending champions and the third-placed Sharks, who are very much in the hunt for a home semi-final.

There’s still enough time in the league phase for a few teams to make a late charge and clinch a place in the playoffs.

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After losing to the last week, Western Province will be going all out to secure a bonus-point win against the last-placed Griffons in Welkom on Friday. The Capetonians are currently in fifth position on the log, but could finish the round in the top four if other results go their way.

The result of the later match on Friday will have a significant impact on the standings.

The Pumas need to beat the harks to stay in touch with the high-flying Cheetahs at the top of the standings. A victory will also ensure that they keep the third-placed KwaZulu-Natalians at arm’s length.

The penultimate game of the round sees the Cheetahs tackling the Lions in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The hosts will head into this match with confidence after winning their last two matches. They also handed the men from Johannesburg a 52-15 defeat the last time the two sides met in the fifth round.

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An upset win for the Lions would boost their playoff prospects, and possibly lead to more movement at the top of the log.

Lots of change on the way

Griquas will be watching the match in Nelspruit closely. If the Pumas win, then the men from Kimberley will have the opportunity to push for a victory against the Bulls on Saturday, and reduce the deficit between themselves and the Sharks on the log. The gap between third and fourth at this stage is five points.

Like the Sharks, the Bulls were recently eliminated from the United Rugby Championship and may opt to deploy some of their stars in the latter stages of the Currie Cup. The Pretoria-based union has struggled on the domestic scene in recent weeks, and another loss could damage their playoff prospects.

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Cheetahs vs Western Province
Follow Cheetahs vs Western Province last weekend was a spectacle. Photos: Backpagepix/Ryan Wilkisky

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