Currie Cup Predictions – Round 6

A big battle between the defending champion Bulls and the unbeaten Sharks serves as the main course of the Currie Cup midweek menu, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

Griquas and the Lions kick-off Wednesday’s triple-header in Kimberley before the log-leading Cheetahs play host to Western Province in Bloemfontein. 

Saving the best for last, the Bulls and Sharks lock horns at Loftus Versfeld.

Griquas v Lions

Wednesday, 16 March – 15:30

The winless Lions should brace for a backlash after a Bulls team bursting with United Rugby Championship (URC) stars handed Griquas their first loss at home in the previous round, and a heavy one at that. 

However, their 53-27 defeat paled in comparison to the 66-14 mauling the Lions endured in Bloemfontein. The young Johannesburg outfit’s woes snowball by the week and they don’t have the physicality or structure to make a fist of it in Kimberley.

The Peacock Blues will be fired up to put their loss to a Springbok-loaded Bulls side behind them and they’ll collect the full five points in the process.

Prediction: Griquas by 26.

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Cheetahs v Western Province

Wednesday, 16 March – 17:45

The Cheetahs are on a singular mission to capture Currie Cup gold, which along with their established and well-balanced team, have given them a leg up on the four franchises splitting their resources between the URC and Currie Cup as well as the smaller unions in Griquas and the Pumas. 

With the legendary duo of Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn as the leading men of the Hawies Fourie production, they’re at the top of the box office charts and continue to go from strength to strength.

Jerome Paarwater’s Western Province, meanwhile, are yet to find their way. Their opening-round win over the Lions is but a distant memory as losses to the Sharks (35-20) and Griquas (22-20) followed and securing their first away win at the toughest of all stops is unlikely.

The Free Staters are so focused that they’ll sidestep the main threat, namely complacency, and come away with another convincing victory.

Prediction: Cheetahs by 18.

Bulls v Sharks

Wednesday, 16 March – 20:00

A powder keg of tension and intensity will explode in Pretoria when the second-placed visitors face the third-placed hosts. It hasn’t always been pretty from the Durbanites to date, but remaining undefeated is what matters most. 

The Bulls’ big win in Kimberley saw them bounce back from a stinging 38-25 loss to the Cheetahs at Loftus to improve to 2-1. The use of, or more accurately put, reliance on a slew of URC stars to get back on track may have been warranted, but the flip side is that Gert Smal will have to field a much-changed side once more given the tournaments are overlapping again. 

The reigning champions will still cherry-pick a few key players for guidance, I’m sure, but it’ll be a significantly weakened side from the one that gored Griquas. 

The Sharks have shown more restraint in dipping into their URC pool and, therefore, have more continuity and cohesion, which have been the basis for their success and what I believe will prove decisive.

With rain set to fall throughout the day and night, with thundershowers also developing in the afternoon, don’t expect a try fest. This will be a down and dirty dog fight. 

Prediction: Sharks by 3.