Crunch matches for Absa Currie Cup Qualifier front runners
ORC Griquas and Leopards, the two front runners on the Absa Currie Cup qualifying log, face crunch matches this coming Saturday which could potentially have a huge impact on their promotion ambitions to the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division.
First-placed ORC Griquas (16 points) travel to the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, to face the Hino Valke. Leopards (second on 15 points) host third-placed Boland Cavaliers in Potchefstroom. As things stand, it is currently a straight shoot-out between Griquas and Leopards for that vital promotional spot and with just one more round remaining after Saturday’s round of games, neither one can afford a slip up.
Five of the seven sides will play their penultimate fixtures of the qualifying campaign this weekend. Boland Cavaliers and SWD Eagles have both played five matches to date while the rest of the sides have played one less encounter.
Boland complete their schedule on Saturday when they travel to Potch to take on the Leopards, while SWD have a bye.
Leopards moved to within a point of Griquas last weekend thanks to a hard-fought 24-20 win over a resilient Down Touch Griffons in Welkom. While the Potch side are the favourites on their home ground against Boland, they know that nothing but a bonus-point win will keep them in the race. Boland will be no pushovers and last weekend they were deserved winners over the Hino Valke.
Griquas visit second from bottom Hino Valke in Kempton Park and the log leaders, who enjoyed a rest last weekend, should be favourites to add another win to their tally of three from four outings so far.
Down Touch Griffons are rooted at the bottom of the log with one win from four and only five league points to show and they host the Border Bulldogs (fourth) in the remaining Saturday fixture. Border showed good form during the early rounds, however, two successive defeats have shattered their ambitious promotional hopes.
The three final fixtures take place next Saturday (25 July) and the winner of the qualifying round will compete in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, which kicks off on 7 August.
The Absa Currie Cup Qualifier fixtures for Saturday, 18 July are:
Leopards vs Boland Cavaliers
Venue: Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
Kick-off: 14h30
Down Touch Griffons vs Border Bulldogs
Venue: HT Pelatona Projects Stadium, Welkom
Kick-off: 15h00
Hino Valke vs ORC Griquas
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15h00
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