What to Expect in Round Three of the Currie Cup
The third round of the 2010 Currie Cup is set to go on the weekend, and after an exciting second round with a couple of upsets and some blowouts, the third round promises not to disappoint. The Blue Bulls will look to rebound over the weekend, while Western Province attempts to keep up its impressive play.
Table
Heading into the weekend, Western Province finds themselves at the top of the table with two wins and eight points. The Natal Sharks sit second with seven points, while the Blue Bulls round out the top three with six points. Sitting fourth, due to point differential are the Griquas, while fifth position belongs to the Lions and Cheetahs with five points apiece. The Pumas and Leopards sit in seventh and eighth place respectivel holding only two points each.
Round Three Previews:
Natal Sharks vs. Pumas
The Natal Sharks are coming off of a huge upset over the Blue Bulls, and the Pumas are still celebrating their first ever first division win over the Leopards. The Sharks are set to go at home and are considered the favorite heading into the match-up. Durban is a strong hold for a Sharks side that has a real shot at taking the tournament honours this season. Both teams have very limited losses, and although rosters have not been announced, it looks as though they will be ready to go for the first game on Friday.
Leopards vs. Western Province
In the most lopsided match-up of the week, the Leopards play host to Western Province in Potchefstroom. Western Province sits at the top of the table and just came off a shutout victory over the Golden Lions. The Leopards lost a close one to the Pumas last week 37-32. The Leopards have managed to keep their games close. However, it is unlikely they will be able to continue that trend against such a strong Western Province side.
Griquas vs. Golden Lions
The tournament surprise Griquas will take on the Golden Lions on Saturday at home in Kimberly. This may be the toughest match to call as the Griquas and Lions are only separated by a point and sit fourth and fifth in the table respectively. The Lions will be interested in making up for last week's humiliating shut-out to Western Province, while the Griquas will be trying to get back on track after a tough loss to Free State. Expect a hard fought match, which will be very close to call all the way to the 80th minute.
Blue Bulls vs. Free State
The week’s final match in Pretoria promises to be one of its best, as the Blue Bulls take on the Free State Cheetahs. The Blue Bulls are coming off a huge upset by the Natal Sharks, while the Cheetahs had a strong second round, defeating the Griquas. Although the Bulls sit third and the Cheetahs are sixth, the two teams are only separated by a single point, making the match-up all the more intriguing because of the possibility of a major table shift. The Bulls may have a tough time again this week, as twelve of their players are currently with the South African national side playing in the Tri-Nations Cup. This is the Cheetahs best chance to beat the Bulls, taking advantage of a weak line-up, just as the Sharks did in the last round.
The third round should do a great deal to set up the table for the remainder of the tournament. The gap between the top and bottom should begin to grow, and we will see for sure how good Western Province is this year. The Bulls, on the other hand, are going to have to battle through until the end of Tri-Nations when they can get a great deal of their starters back.
Tags: