Vodacom Cup set for play-off battle
There is all to play for in the final round of the Vodacom Cup before the play-offs start, with only three teams - Griquas and Pumas in the North Section, and Western Province in the South - assured of their quarterfinal spots.
The Golden Lions, who have a bye this weekend, will in all likelihood make the play-offs, but where they finish on the North Section log is not in their hands.
On the balance of probability, Griquas (at home against the Falcons) and the Blue Bulls (away against the Griffons) should win and make the play-offs.
Funnier things have happened in the past, but it has not been the greatest season for the Northern Free Staters or the East Randers, who won the Vodacom Cup in 2006. They occupy the bottom two positions on the North Section log and will have to play out of their skins to finish the season on a victorious note.
The big game up north takes place in Witbank on Saturday evening, when the Pumas host the Leopards at the Puma Stadium. The team from Potchefstroom still has a slim outside chance of making the quarter-finals, but for that to happen, the Griffons have to beat the Blue Bulls and they have to beat the Pumas.
If the Blue Bulls win in Welkom, the Leopards have to smash the Pumas by more than 31 points and score four tries. They will then move from 12 to 17 log points to finish level with the Golden Lions, but will have a better points difference.
The South Section is even more complicated.
Western Province, under the coaching of John Dobson, will finish top of the log, come what may. WP will host the Free State XV in Durbanville on Saturday; the team from Bloemfontein no doubt wanting to finish a disappointing season with a victory against the pace-setters and only unbeaten team this year.
Teams two to five - the Sharks XV (21 log points, points difference of +79), Pampas XV (20, +41), EP Kings (20, +26) and Regent Boland Kavaliers (20, -3) - all play each other in two mouth-watering clashes in Port Elizabeth and Stellenbosch.
One of these teams will drop out of the quarterfinals, which will probably see them throw all caution to the wind as they try to rack up as many points as possible in 80 minutes, while keeping their opponents as close to 0 as they can.
For the SWD Eagles their 2012 campaign will finish in East London against the Border Bulldogs. The Falcons, Griffons and Free State XV will also play their final Vodacom Cup matches of the season.
FIXTURES:
Thursday, April 26:
Griquas v Falcons
Kick-off: 15.30
Venue: GWK Park, Kimberley
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Friday, April 27:
Griffons v Blue Bulls
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: North West Stadium, Welkom
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
EP Kings v Boland Kavaliers
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Saturday, April 28:
Pampas XV v Sharks XV
Kick-off: 14.45
Venue: Markotter Stadium, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch
Referee: Quinton Immelman
Border Bulldogs v SWD Eagles
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Queen's College, Queenstown
Referee: Matt Kemp
Western Province v Free State XV
Kick-off: 15.30
Venue: Durbanville Rugby Club, Durbanville
Referee: Tiaan Jonker
Pumas v Leopards
Kick-off: 19.10
Venue: Puma Stadium, Witbank
Referee: Ben Crouse