Suzuki Griquas, the Griffons, Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Valke, and Airlink Pumas all hit the ground running in the SA Cup last week and with four coveted Carling Currie Cup Premier Division spots on the line, there is everything to play for as they look to carry that winning momentum into an exciting second round of action this weekend.
The teams finishing in the top four positions at the end of the SA Cup league phase will not only contest the two semi-finals, but also gain automatic qualification to the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.
The SA Cup second round kicks off 18h30 on Friday evening in Potchefstroom where Leopards host the Toyota Cheetahs at Olen Park. That encounter is followed by the Nelspruit match at 19h00, when the Airlink Pumas entertain Eastern Province.
Two fixtures will be staged on Saturday afternoon – the Valke host Suzuki Griquas from 15h00 in Kempton Park, while the Border Bulldogs and SWD Eagles kick off 15h30 in East London.
The final match of the weekend is on Sunday afternoon in Wellington, where the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers host the Griffons.
The Cheetahs have been dominant in their fixture with the Leopards over the last two years. In the inaugural 2024 season, they scored a huge 76–5 win in Potchefstroom and last year they secured a 69–0 shut-out in Bloemfontein.
After their opening-round loss to Boland last week, the Free Staters will be looking for a repeat of their previous high-scoring performances to get their campaign back on track in Potch. For the Leopards, it’s about defensive pride after conceding over 100 points to Griquas last weekend.
In Friday evening’s other fixture, to be staged in the Mbombela Stadium, hosts Airlink Pumas have the upper hand in this match the past two years, beating EP 61–0 in Nelspruit two years ago and 61-22 last season in Gqeberha. EP showed plenty of promise in their narrow loss to the Valke last week, but facing the defending champions in Nelspruit is a daunting task.
Saturday from 15h00, the Valke entertain Suzuki Griquas in the Barnard Stadium in a clash between two former champions. Valke won the Mzansi Challenge in 2023 while Griquas were the inaugural SA Cup winners in 2024. The men from Kimberley come into this meeting as the form team after their 101–7 demolition of the Leopards, however, the Valke are a difficult side to master in Kempton Park.
Border moved their clash with SWD Eagles from Mdantsane to the Cove Event & Sports Venue in Nahoon near East London.
This has historically been a closely contested coastal battle. Two seasons ago, the Eagles took the spoils 40–25 in Mdantsane and last year they were again victorious by a margin of 26 points. Both teams have struggled for consistency in the competition, finishing in the bottom half of the log.
Under the mentorship of former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, SWD have shown they can compete with the best after nearly upsetting the Pumas last week, while Border will be desperate for a win.
The last clash of the round happens on Sunday in Wellington between the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and the Griffons, where the action starts at 16h00. Meetings between these two have developed into a great rivalry of late, while the Bolanders and Northern Free Staters have traded blows for years in their battle for honours in the Carling Currie Cup First Division.
Two years ago, the Griffons edged a thriller 34–31 in Wellington, while last year they won by a margin of just three points, 38-35 in Welkom. Although they trail 0-2 in this fixture, the Kavaliers are nowadays a resurgent force under Hawies Fourie, as evident by their impressive away win last week over the Cheetahs.
Match information:
Leopards vs Toyota Cheetahs
Date: Friday, 13 March
Venue: Olën Park, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 18h30
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron
Airlink Pumas vs Eastern Province
Date: Friday, 13 March
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 19h00
Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys
TV: SuperSport
Valke vs Suzuki Griquas
Date: Saturday,14 March
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Hanru van Rooyen
TV: SuperSport
Border Bulldogs vs SWD Eagles
Date: Saturday,14 March
Venue: The Cove Event & Sports Venue, East London
Kick-off: 15h30
Referee: Paul Mente
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers vs Griffons
Date: Sunday, 15 March
Venue: Boland Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 16h00
Referee: Sean Muller
Reed Lady
The Nelson is a term used to refer to a score of 111 by an individual player or a team. This is also used for multiples of 111, such as 222 (double Nelson), 333 (triple Nelson), and so on. The Nelson is considered unlucky because the number 111 is similar in appearance to a bail-less wicket. Players and fans believe that something bad or unlucky would occur when a player or team reaches that score.
Fresh Peper
Sport Trivia: Which was the first Olympic Games in which Ghana competed as an independent nation? Answer: Rome 1960 – Having competed in Helsinki in 1952 as Gold Coast, Ghana did not send a team to the 1956 Games in Melbourne. By the time the 1960 Games came around, the country had achieved full independence from Great Britain, (in 1957) and was officially known as Ghana.