Rugby
Currie Cup Predictions – Round 2
After a thrilling opening round, the Currie Cup is set to deliver more exciting action with four cracking clashes in store this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
A catfight between the Cheetahs and the Pumas will kick off the second round in Bloemfontein on Friday night. The Lions and Bulls host Western Province and the Sharks XV in Pretoria and Cape Town respectively on Saturday, while the Boland Cavaliers will look to back up their opening statement against Griquas in Kimberley on Sunday afternoon.
Cheetahs v Pumas
Friday, 1 August – 19:00
The Pumas are licking their lips and sensing the time is right to strike against a Cheetahs team who are vulnerable after a gruelling and gutting loss and face a five-day turnaround.
The Free Staters were their own worst enemies against a fired-up Boland outfit last Sunday. Soft mistakes and disciplinary issues prevented them from gaining a foothold in the game, and they only managed to launch their first attack in the 18th minute.
Two yellow cards compounded their worries, and while their front-row replacements did a remarkable job to power a comeback, they couldn’t stick the landing and succumbed to an 87th-minute try.
The Pumas, meanwhile, started their campaign with a 49-28 bonus point win over Griquas last Friday. The Lowvelders are a handful with Manie Libbok-like playmaker Danrich Visagie pulling the strings, and with a bit more patience, they can be even more dangerous.
Given the Cheetahs’ stuttering issues and short turnaround, I fancy the Pumas to pick up a valuable win on the road.
Prediction: Pumas by 3.
Lions v Western Province
Saturday, 2 August – 15:00
The Lions laid down a marker as they smashed the Sharks XV 46-5 last Saturday, and it’s clear that they and the Bulls will be teams to beat this season.
Deploying several United Rugby Championship stars, their class and experience shone through as they carved up the Durbanites with fluid attacking play and won the kicking game in what was a complete performance. That said, there’s always room for improvement.
A young Western Province team were no match for the Bulls and suffered a heavy 48-23 home defeat, which warned that their Currie Cup struggles in recent years look likely to continue. They have plenty of speed and exciting runners with their host of Blitzbok stars, but their lack of power will be a big problem for them.
The effort will be there from Province, who’ll look to build on an improved second-half performance, but the Lions should claim a comfortable win.
Prediction: Lions by 24.
Bulls v Sharks XV
Saturday, 2 August – 17:10
Like the Lions, the Bulls have a potent mix of young guns and United Rugby Championship stars that sets them apart from the rest of the teams.
They wrapped up the game and the bonus point as early as the 30th minute in Cape Town last Saturday, and should cruise to victory in their first home game. Their powerful pack flexed their muscles against Province, producing two driving maul tries, a pushover try, and forcing two yellow cards, and may well take them all the way to the title.
For the young Sharks, their 41-point pasting at Ellis Park was the worst possible start to their title defence. They looked bereft of ideas on attack, with static runners aplenty, while they also kicked away possession. Given their inexperience, they’ll struggle, but their decision-making has to improve, and they’ll need to cut out unforced errors.
As far as this fixture goes, there’s only one outcome, and that’s a commanding win for the hosts.
Prediction: Bulls by 30.
Griquas v Boland Cavaliers
Sunday, 3 August – 15:00
The Boland Cavaliers will look to kick on after they celebrated their return to the Premier Division for the first time in nine years with a heroic 35-32 win over the Cheetahs last Sunday.
Their last-gasp triumph was the highlight of the opening round and was fully deserved after the energy and dominance they started the clash with and the heart they showed to snatch victory at the death.
Griquas are hurting after their 49-28 loss in Nelspruit last Friday, but know what to do to turn their fortunes around, namely, sort out their discipline. They were in the game until late despite having conceded three yellow cards, so by cleaning up their act, they should bring Boland back down to earth.
Prediction: Griquas by 7.