Sharks & Bulls look to bounce back in round two of the Currie Cup
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We headed are headed into the second weekend of the Currie Cup and while it is still early doors, a team like Western Province could stamp their authority on the competition.
The men from the Cape saw off the Bulls last weekend but will travel up to Durban to face an experienced Sharks outfit, who slipped up against the Griquas last weekend. A win for WP on Saturday could see them in a health position having played two out of the top four unions.
Before the Coastal derby gets played there are two matches on Friday night, one sees a reply of the Supersport Challenge final as the Griquas host the Pumas. If the union, based in Kimberly, can pick up a second win then they will mostly lead the table for a second week.
This weekend will be the first time we see the Free State Cheetahs in action as they face a wounded Bulls outfit, who will no doubt be keen to get a win on the board after last week's loss to their old rival.
Week 1 Wrap-up:
South Africa’s oldest cup competition, the Currie Cup, provided heaps of entertainment in round one as well as shock result which got many talking.
The first fixture of the round took place last Friday and saw the Supersport Challenge champions, Griquas, stun an experienced Sharks outfit 37-13 in Durban. The Super Rugby franchise fielded a side filled with heavy hitters such as Curwin Bosch, JP
Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo and Coenie Oosthuizen but that wasn’t enough to break the resilience of George Whitehead’s troops.
Phakisa Pumas almost caused the upset of the weekend as they pushed the Golden Lions all the way to the 80th minute in match which saw them go down 38-37 at Ellis Park. The Pumas lead a youthful Lions side for most of the match but a 22-year-old winger Madosh Tambwe stole the show as he scored 4 tries in the match to seal victory for the home side.
The old North-South derby was the big game of the weekend, but it is a game neither the WP or the Bulls would like to remember. Although the men from the Cape came out 20-5 victors at Newlands it certainly wasn't a match that produced thrilling rugby, even though there were plenty of Springboks on the field.