Midweek Currie Cup action: Lions desperate for win in Kimberley

The Lions’ Currie Cup team will hope to build on the efforts of their United Rugby Championship and U20 teams and try and pick up their first win of the competition when they face the Griquas in Kimberley on Wednesday afternoon (kickoff 3:30pm).

The Lions’ URC team broke a five match losing streak with a win over Cardiff on Sunday, while the U20 side continued their winning run with a third victory in a row in the junior competition, this time against Western Province, to remain the only unbeaten side in the competition.

In Kimberley

The Lions’ Currie Cup team will thus be eager to get some of that winning feeling too with them rock bottom of the log, having lost all four games so far.

And it gets no easier for the Joburg-based side. They face a stiff challenge in a strong Griquas outfit, who on their home turf in Kimberley are always extremely dangerous, but the visitors will hope to build on the momentum provided by the URC side and the juniors.

They’ve also been bolstered by the inclusion of the experienced prop JP Smith, loose forward Emmanuel Tshituka, wing Rabz Maxwane and fullback EW Viljoen.

The side will be led by the experienced Jannie du Plessis, with regular captain Asenathi Ntlabakanye playing off the bench this week.

In Bloemfontein and Pretoria

The other matches on the day see the table topping Cheetahs hosting Western Province in Bloemfontein (5.45pm), while the second on the log Sharks travel to Pretoria to take on the third placed Bulls at Loftus (8pm).

The Cheetahs, having enjoyed a superb start to the competition, will be heavy favourites to pick up another win against Western Province and will probably be targeting a bonus point to go with that result.

The Bulls’ match against the Sharks will be an interesting one, with both teams having showed a willingness to play their URC stars in the Currie Cup. Among the URC regulars in action for the Bulls are Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe, Arno Botha and Cyle Brink, who’s back from injury.

On this occasion though, the Sharks will push a team minus their URC regulars into battle, as they, like all the four big franchises, have a big URC match this coming weekend.