Absa Currie Cup Preview – Week Nine
Coenie Oosthuizen in photo by HiltonKotze.com
The Sharks were the only team that defeated the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld during the 2009 Absa Currie Cup and will be hoping that history repeats itself when these sides meet in Pretoria on Saturday at 19h15.
The Durban side are currently in first position on the log with 35 points and are 12 clear of the defending champions who are in fourth place on 23. The visitors, who have won their last seven consecutive games in the 2010 competition after going down to the GWK Griquas (40-34) in week one, have been labelled the most consistent attacking side this season.
The Sharks are the leading try-scoring side in the 2010 Absa Currie Cup after accumulating 36 tries and have also notched up more points than any other team after eight games – 294. They also boast the second best defensive record this season after conceding 169 points. Only Vodacom Western Province (118) has conceded fewer points in this year’s competition.
However the Vodacom Blue Bulls, who conceded their fourth defeat in this season’s competition during their 22-21 defeat to the Barloworld Toyota Pumas in Nelspruit last Friday, will be desperate to get back to winning ways to keep their aspirations of hosting a semi-final alive.
The defending champions suffered a 25-23 defeat to the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs in week three, but have secured victories over the GWK Griquas (39-38), Platinum Leopards (43-28) and the Barloworld Toyota Pumas (38-15) at Loftus Versfeld this year.
In Johannesburg, the Xerox Lions will also be hoping that history repeats itself when they host Vodacom Western Province in this Absa Currie Cup Premier Division match played at Coca-Cola Park on Friday at 19h10.
While the Cape side outclassed their Gauteng opponents during their 32-0 win at Newlands earlier this year, it was the Xerox Lions who were victorious (27-25) when these sides last met at Coca-Coca Park in October 2009.
Vodacom WP will however be desperate to avoid a third consecutive defeat in this season’s competition. The Capetonians are currently in second position on the log with 28 points, seven behind The Sharks. They conceded defeats against the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (29-24) and the Durban franchise (27-16) during the last two weekends.
The Xerox Lions are currently in sixth position on the log with 20 points and will be looking to secure their fourth consecutive victory of the season by toppling Province on Friday evening. The Johannesburg side recently defeated the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs (30-26), Barloworld Toyota Pumas (33-30) and the Platinum Leopards (45-22).
Meanwhile the GWK Griquas will be aiming to stay in touch with the Absa Currie Cup log-leaders and record their fifth win of the competition when they host the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs at GWK Park on Friday at 17h00.
In the other Absa Currie Cup game of the weekend, the Barloworld Toyota Pumas will be looking to build on last weekend’s 22-21 victory over the Vodacom Blue Bulls when they take on the Platinum Leopards in Potchefstroom on Friday at 19h00.
The hosts are the only side in this season’s competition that are still in search of their first win of the season while the visitors will be out to secure their third victory of the competition.
The Barloworld Toyota Pumas achieved a 37-32 victory over the Platinum Leopards during week two in this season’s Absa Currie Cup.
Michael Bondesio, Wilhelm Koch and Anthonie Gronum will all be playing in their 50th matches for the Platinum Leopards on Friday night. This includes all games played in the Absa Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup and Competition friendlies.
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