Currie Cup survival on the line for WP and Sharks

Western Province and the Sharks are staring down the barrel heading into round three of the Currie Cup. Winless after two games, both unions are propping up the standings and need to find answers — fast.

Province have shipped 88 points in two weeks, hammered first by the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town and then outmuscled by a fired-up Lions outfit at Ellis Park. The scoreboard read 40-19 in Johannesburg, and while there were glimpses of attacking intent, it was again ill-discipline and fragility at the breakdown that cost them.

The Sharks are in even deeper trouble. Two matches, two defeats, a solitary penalty to show for their efforts against the Lions and a 64-0 drubbing at the hands of the Bulls last week — the worst result in their Currie Cup history.

There’s little respite this weekend. WP head to Kimberley on Friday where Griquas have built a fortress and a recent seven-match winning streak over Province — including a 37-29 victory in September last year — adds more weight to the hosts’ confidence.

After a tough loss to the Pumas in round one, Griquas hit their straps in a high-scoring win against Boland, and they’ll fancy their chances to pile more pain on WP.

On Saturday, the Sharks welcome the Cheetahs to the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont. It’s a bold move to shift from Kings Park, but desperate times call for fresh ideas. The Cheetahs, meanwhile, edged a tight arm-wrestle with the Pumas and have shown both bite and backbone early in this campaign. They’ll arrive in Durban full of intent.

The Sharks did win the last clash between these two 25-20, and history slightly favours them, but this is a different Free State outfit — hungry, experienced and ruthless when it counts.

The round kicks off earlier on Saturday in Pretoria, where the Bulls look to make it three from three when they face the Pumas. The log leaders have smashed WP and the Sharks in successive weeks and are playing with the kind of tempo and physicality that makes them very hard to stop.

The Pumas were gritty in round one but couldn’t back it up against the Cheetahs. A third away trip in as many weeks now sees them head to Loftus, and if they don’t front up physically, it could get ugly.

Sunday’s curtain comes down in Wellington as Boland host a Lions team full of confidence and ambition. The Cavaliers were brave in defeat to Griquas and showed in round one that they’re not in the Premier Division to make up the numbers.

But the Lions look hungry. They’ve rediscovered their bite, have the forwards to bully teams and the backs to finish — and on current form, they’re one of the early favourites. Expect fireworks in the Winelands.

Round 3 fixtures

Friday, 8 August

Griquas vs Western Province – 15:00, Kimberley

Saturday, 9 August

Bulls vs Pumas – 15:00, Pretoria

Sharks vs Cheetahs – 17:10, Durban

Sunday, 10 August

Boland Cavaliers vs Lions – 15:00, Wellington