ROB DAVIES, Johannesburg | Thursday 8.30pm.
WESTERN Province under Bobby Skinstad will be hoping for a scorcher when they meet a fired-up Blue Bulls side in a vital Currie Cup match on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The Bulls are already assured of a spot in the semifinals, and the defending champs will need to win handsomely to join their hosts in the knockout stages. This will, however, be no easy feat as the Bulls have arguably the most potent backline in the competition.
Sporting runners like Jacques Olivier, Grant Esterhuyzen and Joost van der Westhuizen at scrumhalf, the Bulls backline is every bit as hot as the one they face on Saturday. Among the forwards Schutte Bekker and Ruben Kruger will do their bit to clean up around the fringes and Krynauw Otto is certain to have more than his share of line-out ball.
Province, coming off a loss against Free State last weekend, will want to show good form, and Skinstad, scrumhalf Dan van Zyl, centres Robbie Fleck and Andy Marinos as well as Springbok fullback Percy Montgomery will play key roles in ensuring a good display. Victory, however, seems unlikely.
South Western Districts are also still in line for a semi-final berth, but will have to overcome log leaders Griqualand West at Outeniqua Park in George on Friday afternoon.
Griquas have proved to have a soft underbelly when not playing in Kimberley, and the men from Wilderness may be able to get the better of them. The crucial task of shutting down explosive Springbok and Griquas flyhalf belongs to Jacques Benade, and the battle between the two will be a thriller.
Wooden spoonists Northern Free State and the Mpumalanga Pumas will battle it out in Welkom on Friday, and the match may turn into a ding-dong battle if both sides play positively.
The weekend slaughter will take place in Orkney on Saturday when the Natal Sharks, well on course for a semi-final spot, will tear into North West. The Sharks will be led by Springbok skipper Gary Teichmann, and only a divine intervention will prevent the home side from getting hammered.
Eastern Province, who surprised all and sundry with excellent performances earlier in the season may cause an upset at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan when they take on the MTN Falcons. If the men from Port Elizabeth win the match they will give the Falcons’ semi-final hopes a big blow, this is unlikely, however, as the Elephants have lost the plot slightly in the latter stages of the competition.
The Golden Lions will be out to prove something after a disastrous run over the past few weeks when they meet Border in East London. The Lions will, however, find the going tough at the Basil Kenyon Stadium and they are not assured of a win, even though Andre Vos will lead his team onto the field as favourites.
Free State’s win over Western Province last weekend will spur them on to a big match against Boland at Wellington on Sunday, thereby staying in the race for a semi-final spot. Even though the Bolanders have showed their class on numerous occasions it seems unlikely that they will peak after their recent slump in form.
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