Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Xerox Golden Lions kick off in Bloemfontein
Gaining valuable momentum will be the focus for all the teams in action in the Currie Cup this weekend, as some sides reach the halfway stage of their campaigns and others edge closer to the final stages of their pool games.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Xerox Golden Lions, who are both unbeaten, will kick off the action in Bloemfontein on Friday evening, while the Phakisa Pumas host the Cell C Sharks in Nelspruit and the Vodacom Blue Bulls take on Tafel Lager Griquas in Pretoria on August 3. DHL Western Province has a bye.
The battle for places in the top four on the standings in the Currie Cup First will intensify this weekend as the teams face the realisation that there are only three pool rounds remaining, including this weekend, to earn semi-final spots.
The Boland Cavaliers and Valke will kick off the action at Esselen Park in Worcester on a jam-packed Saturday, which will also feature matches between the Jaguares XV and SWD Eagles in Potchefstroom, the Border Bulldogs and Eastern Province in Mthatha, and the Down Touch Griffons and Leopards in Welkom.
The Cheetahs and Lions, who are the only two unbeaten teams in the Currie Cup Premier Division, will be hunting their third victories in a row when they meet in the city of roses.
Both sides have been impressive on attack, scoring 30 points or more in both their matches this season, while the Free Staters boast the best defence in the competition, which is expected to set the scene for an exciting encounter.
The Johannesburg outfit won the last two matches between the sides, but they will be wary of the fact that the last time they toppled the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein was in 2015.
The Lions opted for continuity in selection with the only change to the starting team that defeated WP being the inclusion of lock Wilhelm van der Sluys in place of Marvin Orie, who has joined the Springbok squad.
The Cheetahs team show three personnel changes, with Tapiwa Mafura (winger), Marnus van der Merwe (flanker) and Ox Nche (prop) earning starts, while a notable inclusion on the bench is former Springbok scrum half Ruan Pienaar.
