2011 ABSA Currie Cup: Round 13 Review
The South African provincial Rugby Union domestic competition, 2011 ABSA Currie Cup, has completed round 13. The tournament is about to come to an end, as a final round starting from this coming
Friday, October 14, is left along with the semifinals and finals.
Following the quarter-final exit of the Springboks from their 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign, it is expected that several players who were away from their provincial sides due to their
national duty, will return to their clubs to strengthen the squads.
However, their return will have little impact on the fate of their teams in the tournament, as the teams will be playing their last round of the competition. Nonetheless, the return of key
players for the knockout games will definitely bring more excitement, talent, experience and expertise to club lineups.
Additionally, the return of big names will draw more crowds to the game. At the end of the round 13 of the 2011 Currie Cup, Golden Lions have retained their position as the table leaders, with
their 50 points coming from 13 games of the season, which includes 10 wins.
All eight teams participating in the tournament locked horns with each other during the weekend. In the first of the four matches played during the weekend, Free State Cheetahs defeated the
Pumas 20 – 23 at Puma Stadium, Witbank on Friday, October 7. This was Cheetahs seventh win in the championship, which took their total points in the tournament to 42. Pumas on the other hand, retained their seventh position on the table.
In the second match of the weekend, Griquas defeated the Blue Bulls 48 – 44 at GWK, Kimberley on Saturday, October 8. The match was a try-fest as both teams, won the Try Bonus Point from the
match, by scoring more than four tries in the game. The defeat has dropped Bulls out of the Top four, as they are currently placed in fifth position, with 35 points. They are trailing the Western Province by a point’s difference and will be eyeing a Bonus
Point victory in their last round game next weekend.
Bulls’ day was saved because of the fact, that Province suffered a 17 point margin defeat at the hands of Lions. Golden Lions defeated Western Province 42 – 25, at Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg.
In the last match of the weekend, defending champions, Natal Sharks, defeated the Platinum Leopards 41 – 14 on Saturday at Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng.
Sharks are now placed at the second position with the 43 points coming from their 13 games in the season which includes 9 wins. Free State Cheetahs are trailing behind Sharks with a single
point difference at third position. Province currently are placed fourth, as teams prepare for the final round of the competition to decide the top four play-off teams.
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