Currie Cup preview: All the permutations with playoff race set to come to a head

Five teams will compete for the last two playoff spots in what promises to be an action-packed final round of the 2023 Currie Cup season. 

STATE OF THE CURRIE CUP:

The Sharks and Cheetahs have already secured home advantage for the Currie Cup Premier Division semi-finals. The next round of fixtures will determine which of these teams finishes at the top of the log and earns the right to host a potential final.

The Cheetahs will be gunning for a win against the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon. They currently trail the Sharks by two points in the standings.

But if the Free Staters lose at Loftus Versfeld and fail to obtain any bonus points, the KwaZulu-Natalians will head into their final league fixture against Western Province in Cape Town with the knowledge that they have already secured a top-place finish.

The tournament has witnessed an almighty battle for playoff positions in recent weeks. That scrap will reach a climax this weekend, with the Pumas, Bulls, Griquas, WP and Lions competing for the final two spots.

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GRIQUAS VS PUMAS (FRIDAY, 3PM, KIMBERLEY)

The Pumas – who currently sit in third place – will be targeting a win in Kimberley on Friday, which will be a repeat of their amazing feat last year in the Currie Cup final. That said, a loss with a bonus point or two may still earn them a playoff spot, providing that other results go their way.

Griquas will climb from fifth to third if they beat the defending champs. In that event, they will advance to the final four, regardless of what happens in later fixtures.

GRIFFONS VS LIONS (FRIDAY, 3PM, WELKOM)

The Lions need a big win against the Griffons on Friday. The Northern Free Staters have lost 12 of their previous 13 matches.

The Johannesburg side could finish the league stage with 36 log points, provided that they secure a bonus-point win in Welkom. They will need every other fixture in the final round to go their way – with Griquas, the Bulls and WP losing their respective games – to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

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BULLS VS CHEETAHS (SATURDAY, 3PM, PRETORIA)

The Bulls have won their past four matches, and may fancy their chances against the Cheetahs at home. A loss would, in all likelihood, knock them out of the playoff race.

WESTERN PROVINCE VS SHARKS (SATURDAY, 5PM, CAPE TOWN)

WP need to beat the Sharks – who are on a seven-game winning streak – to have any sort of chance of making the semi-finals.

A bonus-point victory will boost their cause, although they do have a better points-difference than the Bulls and Griquas, and may advance ahead of those teams if they finish the league stage on the same number of log points.