This weekend’s talking points from the Currie Cup

The race for first place on the Currie Cup – whether it matters is another question – is all but won after the Sharks extended their unbeaten run to eight matches.

Robert du Preez’s men are now undoubtedly the favourites going into the last three rounds.

Instead, the battle for the rest of the semifinal places hots up as a massive logjam has emerged in mid-table and given the seesawing nature of the past weekend’s action, you can’t make a call on who those candidates will be.

Here are the talking points from the weekend.

Sharks make a statement

It’s never easy to win in Kimberley (it has been easier the past few weeks) but the Durbanites deserve credit for the way they achieved their 40-22 win over Griquas.

Coach Du Preez pleaded with his team before the game to show they can “take their play to the next level” and, to some extent, they did that.

The iffy performances of the previous few rounds were throw into the bin.

One standout feature was how well the Sharks protected their possession.

They enjoyed 54% possession and 64% territory, while only conceded 8 turnovers.

It reflected in the 6 tries they scored.

They also had a 92% tackle completion rate, illustrating how well-rounded the performance was.

Pumas show the benefits of staying true to oneself

Even in the Currie Cup’s watered-down state nowadays, not many would’ve thought the Pumas would be in contention for a playoff place.

But a momentous 22-12 triumph over Western Province served as a reminder that the Lowvelders continue to punch above their weight in the domestic tournament.

There was a mid-campaign slump where it seemed the Pumas could go off the rails but astute coach Brent Janse van Rensburg stuck to his guns, kept faith in his squad and has been rewarded.

Given how they’ve used the rolling maul to make the opposition forwards creak, it seems former Springboks prop CJ van der Linde is also making an impression as forwards coach.

To be fair though, Province delivered one of their poorest performances of recent memory, which is pretty scandalous for the amount of talent they still boast.

A week’s “break” could make or break Lions

There’s mounting evidence that the men from Ellis Park are now finding their mojo under Swys de Bruin, none more so than the fact that they’ve won three in a row now.

It’s the type of momentum any side craves but now the Lions have a bye this week.

De Bruin says his charges need the rest after a busy three months and that’s a fair comment given the roller coaster ride they’ve been on.

Yet it’s not always easy coming back from a week’s rest, especially if your race to a semifinal place is a tight one…