The cut-throat nature of the #Reloaded Currie Cup this year means there is no place for slip-ups, and the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Cell C Sharks will be acutely aware of that when they host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and DHL Western Province this weekend.
At the same time, Tafel Lager Griquas will be aiming to forge ahead on the log of the Currie Cup Premier Division, when they take on the dangerous Phakisa Pumas in Kimberley.
Two matches, in Kimberley and Pretoria, are scheduled on July 19, while the big clash in Durban, a replay of last year’s superb final, will kick off at 2pm on Saturday afternoon. The Xerox Golden Lions have a bye.
The Currie Cup First Division will enter its third week, and the Jaguares XV will look to extend their winning run in East London where they take on Border.
The other matches are in Caledon, where Boland host the EP Elephants, the Leopards and Valke will cross swords in Potch, and the Down Touch Griffons host the SWD Eagles in Welkom, all on Saturday.
For Springbok wing Bjorn Basson, the Currie Cup Premier Division match at Tafel Lager Park in Kimberley will be a homecoming of sorts, as that is where he took his first strides in senior rugby 11 years ago.
The speedy winger scored 47 tries in 56 matches for Griquas between 2008 and 2010, before his travels took him to Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
The 21 Currie Cup tries Basson scored in the peacock-blue jersey in 2010 is still the record for the most five-pointers by a player in one season.
Griquas will be hoping he can build on this when he gets a run off the bench against the Pumas on Friday afternoon, as a win will strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
After their heartbreaking defeat in Johannesburg last weekend, the Pumas have made only one personnel change to their team, with Henko Marais starting at inside centre. They also welcome back the experienced front row duo of Simon Westraadt and De-Jay Terblanche on the bench.
In Pretoria, the Blue Bulls will put the disappointment of last weekend’s defeat in Cape Town behind them as they look for their first log points against the Cheetahs, who started with a bye in the opening round.
The home team were bolstered with the arrival of Springbok loose forward Marco van Staden, who has been included on the bench, while Wiehahn Herbst’s return to the front row – he missed last weekend’s match due to family commitments – will bolster their scrum.
The Free Staters will rock up at Loftus Versfeld with four former Blue Bulls players in their backline, which has a dangerous look to it. Louis Fouche (full back), William Small-Smith (wing), Dries Swanepoel (centre) and Tiaan Schoeman (fly half) will all have a point to prove in front of their former home crowd.
Three players will also be making their debuts in the colours of the Cheetahs – locks Walt Steenkamp and Sintu Manjezi, and Darren Adonis (replacement back).
The Sharks side named to take on WP in Durban on Saturday has just one change as the coaching staff look to grow and develop the team without disruption.
Rhyno Smith moves up from the bench and will start at full back, while Aphelele Fassi has been named among the replacements.
WP have also decided not to tweak their team too much, and as such Springbok tourist JD Schickerling will start on the side of the scrum in the only change to their team.
Schickerling comes into the starting lineup at blindside flank, with Ernst van Rhyn shifting to openside and Jaco Coetzee at number eight in place of the injured Juarno Augustus.
