Griquas aim to keep momentum against wounded Province

THE SUZUKI Griquas will be determined to continue their upward trend in the 2025 Currie Cup when they host a battered and bruised DHL Western Province team at Suzuki Park on Friday afternoon.

Griquas have thus far been on an upward tick following their 49-28 first-round defeat to the Airlink Pumas. They started slow against the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers in round two, finding themselves 19-34 behind at half-time, before breaking the fetters and storming to a dominant 48-39 win in a free-flowing display at Suzuki Park in a breezy but pleasant Kimberley last Sunday.

Now it will be important for Griquas to kick on when the third round of the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off on Friday at 3pm. Griquas will be fully aware that the ever dangerous Capetonians will be eager to notch up their first victory of the season. WP will be desperate to reverse their fortunes after two early losses. 

However, Kimberley is known to be a tough hunting ground, and Labeeb Levy’s charges will need a marked improvement to overcome the hosts. Griquas have dominated recent encounters between the two sides and are on a seven-match winning streak against Province. 

Bad news for the visitors is that Griquas will be confident heading into this clash against a youthful WP side still finding their feet in the competition.

Bulls ready for Pumas

Saturday’s action begins in Pretoria, where the Vodacom Bulls welcome the Pumas at 3pm. 

The Bulls, early pacesetters in the competition, will aim to extend their dominance over their eastern neighbours. Their 40-24 win in this fixture last September was a second successive win for the men from Pretoria following a heavy 63-15 loss to the team from Mpumalanga in May 2023.

This season, however, the Bulls have looked formidable, collecting maximum points from their opening two matches and playing a very attractive brand of rugby. Their two wins so far include a 64-0 demolition of the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV at Loftus Versfeld, and a convincing away win over WP in the North-South derby.

The Pumas, who edged Griquas in round one, fell short against a determined Toyota Cheetahs side in Bloemfontein last weekend and Saturday’s clash in Pretoria will be another stern test for the 2022 champions from Mbombela.

Sharks bank on home ground boost

Later on Saturday, the Sharks XV will look to make home advantage count when they face the Cheetahs at 5.10pm in Durban.

In this late afternoon fixture at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont, Durban, Frans Steyn’s charges will be eager to build on their thrilling win over the Pumas last weekend.

Clashes between these two sides have often delivered fireworks, with the Durbanites holding a narrow 3-2 edge in their last five meetings. However, based on current form, the young KZN outfit will go into this one as underdogs.

JP Pietersen’s young squad will be looking to bounce back after last week’s heavy defeat at Loftus, but they face a tough challenge against a Cheetahs side that showed grit in overcoming the Pumas. The last time these two met, the Sharks XV edged it 25-20. But they will have to dig deep to do that again.

Cavaliers want to do well in Wellington

The Boland Cavaliers will play their third consecutive Sunday fixture of the competition, this time against the Fidelity ADT Lions in a 3pm kick-off in Wellington.

This fixture sees the Cavaliers take on a confident, high-flying Lions side. The Bolanders, newly promoted to the Premier Division, will be pleased with their six league points so far.

However, the Highvelders – last year’s runners-up – present their toughest challenge yet. With just one loss in their last five matches in this competition (a narrow defeat to their Durban rivals in the 2024 final), the Lions boast a powerful yet mobile pack of forwards and a potent backline. 

Fans in Wellington are in for an entertaining, attacking spectacle on Sunday afternoon.

All matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport Rugby.

Round 3 match information:

Suzuki Griquas vs DHL Western Province

Date: Friday, 8 August

Venue: Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby

Vodacom Bulls vs Airlink Pumas

Date: Saturday, 9 August

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Morne Ferreira

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV vs Toyota Cheetahs

Date: Saturday, 9 August

Venue: Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, Durban

Kick-off: 5.10pm

Referee: AJ Jacobs

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby

 Sanlam Boland Kavaliers vs Fidelity ADT Lions

Date: Sunday, 10 August

Venue: Sanlam Boland Stadium, Wellington

Kick-off: 3pm

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby