Preview: Kings to extend dominance?
The Eastern Province Kings will look to take a firm grip on this year's First Division when they host the Leopards in a top-of-the-table clash in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
The Kings, who drew 30-all with the Pumas in Nelspruit last weekend, are the only unbeaten side left in the competition.
The men from Port Elizabeth hold a two-point lead over the Leopards – 53-28 victors over the Border Bulldogs in Round Six – going into the final match of the first round.
The other three matches in Round Seven all take place on Saturday.
Defending champions the Boland Cavaliers will look to build on their long-overdue first win of the season last weekend – 79-26 over the Falcons in Worcester – when they travel to East London to face the winless Bulldogs.
Early-season pace-setters the Griffons, who have slipped to third on the table following two defeats – including a 20-13 reversal in George last weekend against the SWD Eagles – will want to get back to winning ways when they host the fourth-placed Pumas at the North West Stadium in Welkom.
The Eagles, whose win in George over the Griffons took them to fifth on the table, will travel to the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park to play the Falcons, currently in seventh and licking their wounds following their 50-point defeat to the Cavaliers last weekend.
Eastern Province Kings flyhalf George Whitehead tops the First Division point-scoring log after Round 6, with 80 points made up of three tries, 16 conversions and 11 penalties. Behind Whitehead in second place is Boland Cavaliers flyhalf Elgar Watts on 67, with former Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius, now of the Leopards, third on 62.
Leopards wing Allister Kettledas still leads the try-scoring stakes with seven touchdowns but he has been joined at the top of the pile by teammates Danie Dames (7) and Philip de Wet (6).
Round Seven fixtures:
EP Kings v Leopards
Date: Friday, August 10
Kick-off: 19.00
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Referee: Lesego Legoete
Assistants: Jason Jaftha, Christie du Preez
Last meeting: 4 March 2011 in Potchefstroom (Vodacom Cup): Leopards won 31-25
Griffons v Pumas
Date: Saturday, August 11
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: North West Stadium, Welkom
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistants: Pieter Janse van Vuuren, Francois de Bruin
Last meeting: 23 March 2012 in Welkom (Vodacom Cup): Pumas won 43-12
Border Bulldogs v Boland Cavaliers
Date: Saturday, August 11
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Buffalo City Municipal Stadium, East London
Referee: Ben Crouse
Assistants: Sindile Mayende, Fumanekile Yamile
Last meeting: 20 April 2012 in Wellington (Vodacom Cup): Cavaliers won 45-40
Falcons v SWD Eagles
Date: Saturday, August 11
Kick-off: 15.00
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistants: Matt Kemp, Pieter de Villiers
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
Last meeting: 24 September 2011 in Kempton Park (First Division): Falcons won 53-45