Action in the Vodacom Cup resumes this weekend after the Easter break with quarterfinal contenders looking to secure home-ground advantage for the knockout stages of the competition.
This weekend sees the final round of league fixtures with four semifinal places still up for grabs and a host of teams vying to secure a favourable home draw.
The only team certain to host a quarterfinal are Western Province (WP), who have an unassailable eight-point cushion at the top of the South section. Their opponents this weekend are the second-placed Free State Cheetahs, who have yet to secure a home berth in the knockout stage.
The Cheetahs would need to win against WP at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in Mangaung on Saturday to make 100% certain. Should they fail, they will have to hope that the Mighty Elephants can upset the third-placed Boland Cavaliers in their final fixture and deny the Wellington side the opportunity of hosting a quarterfinal.
WP and Boland will start as favourites respectively in these two matches, but with so much at stake, an upset in one or both cannot be discounted.
The clash between Boland and the Elephants takes place at the Boland Stadium on Saturday at 3.30pm.
The weekend’s other match in the South section is of academic interest, with the bottom two sides, the SWD Eagles and the Border Bulldogs, battling for pride at Outeniqua Park in George on Friday at 7.10pm.
The key fixture in the North section this weekend is the clash between log leaders the Blue Bulls and the fourth-placed Falcons at the Bosman Stadium in Brakpan on Friday. The Blue Bulls lead the section by points difference over Griquas, while the Falcons are four points off the pace — meaning there is everything to play for.
A win for the Falcons will given them a home quarterfinal and possibly deny the Blue Bulls a last-eight date at Loftus.
Should things go in favour of the Falcons, the outcome of Griquas final fixture over the Lions at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Saturday will also be crucial.
If Griquas are victorious, they will secure a home advantage, but if they go down the chances of them missing out are very real indeed.
A Lions win could even see the Jo’burg side sneaking in, although home advantage is out of the question.
The Leopards, who host the Griffons at the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom on Saturday, also have a slim chance of making the last eight, depending on the outcome of other matches at the weekend. — Sapa