It’s do-or-die this weekend as pressure mounts ahead of Currie Cup playoffs

The Sharks are currently in fourth position on the Currie Cup log, and notwithstanding the Free State/Western Province match being the showpiece clash of the weekend, when Griquas rock up at Kings Park on Saturday afternoon the home side will be involved in just as much of a do-or-die clash as the two teams in Bloemfontein.

The Free State Cheetahs are the team in fifth, one point behind the Sharks, so obviously the KwaZulu-Natalians cannot afford to slip up against the bottom side on the log. Especially since they play Western Province at Newlands in the last round of fixtures.

Western Province have their own pressures because they could finish anywhere from first to fifth, depending on their results in the next fortnight.

Just to add to the pressure on the Sharks, they are currently dealing with a Covid outbreak and with some players coming back and others testing positive, coach Sean Everitt has been forced to change the majority of his team over the last few weeks.

It has shown in heavy defeats on the road to the Lions and the Cheetahs buy Everitt was doing his best to paint a positive picture on Thursday.

“This team has had a good week’s preparation,” Everitt said.

“They are very tough on themselves and they have high standards. They know they have not delivered the standards of performance we expect over the last two weeks, but it’s easily identifiable what went wrong against the Cheetahs and we know Griquas are always a massive challenge as well.

“They always run teams close and I feel they were unfortunate not to beat the Lions and Western Province. We have no doubt what they will bring. They are desperate as well and obviously motivated to knock over one of the big four, so we are under no illusions.

“We know it is going to be a physical battle and a big duel at set-piece, but our team is determined to bounce back.”

Desperation, motivation, physicality and set-piece prowess are also all the properties the Pumas, those other ‘minnows’ of the Currie Cup, will bring to their match against the Lions on Saturday, especially since they are playing in Nelspruit.

While the Lions are rightfully wary of their neighbours, they are also targeting a bonus point win because that could make a massive difference in their hunt for a home semi-final. Ivan van Rooyen’s team are currently in third place, two points behind Western Province and six behind log-leaders the Bulls.

Momentum is with the Lions and they are also quite fortunate in terms of player availability, with in-form prop Sti Sithole probably their only first-choice player who is out injured at the moment.

Meanwhile, Western Province coach John Dobson is not satisfied just to be in contention.

Their extraordinary defeats to the Bulls and Lions on successive weekends, and recent growth in the number of penalties his team is conceding, are weighing on his mind.

“We always knew one of the so-called bigger franchises would lose out on the semi-finals, but I’m not thrilled that it might still be us,” Dobson said.

“Those 22-20 and 22-19 losses to the Bulls and Lions in successive weeks have been a real knock for us.

“We don’t want to have to win next week against the Sharks so this weekend against the Cheetahs is an opportunity for us to wrap up a semi-final place, then we can talk about where we want to be playing that semi-final.”

Currie Cup fixtures (Saturday)

Pumas v Lions, Nelspruit (2pm)

Cheetahs v Western Province, Bloemfontein (4.30pm)

Sharks v Griquas, Durban (4.30pm)

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