Absa Currie Cup Promotion/ Relegation Previews – Round Two
The Platinum Leopards are favourites to remain in the Absa Currie Cup and only require two log points from their clash against the SWD Eagles at Outeniqua Park on Friday (17h05) to keep their status as a Premier Division competitor.
The Potchefstroom side secured maximum points from their first promotion/relegation game against their George opponents at Profert Olën Park on Saturday and boast a superior points’ differential of 15 points.
The result means that the hosts must secure maximum points from their fixture against the Platinum Leopards and deny their opponents any log points when these sides meet on Friday afternoon.
The SWD Eagles will fancy their chances of causing an upset over the Potchefstroom side as they have enjoyed a solid home run at Outeniqua Park during the last couple of seasons.
The side, coached by Johan Lerm, have only lost four home games during the last two seasons in George. They secured home victories over the Valke (57-35), Griffons (42-27), Border Bulldogs (33-12) and the Boland Cavaliers (45-36) this year, but conceded a 19-17 defeat to the EP Kings in week six of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup First Division.
The Eagles defeated the Griffons (32-30) in their semi-final clash played at Outeniqua Park but then lost the final of the Absa Currie Cup First Division against the Eastern Province Kings earlier this month by 16-12.
The Platinum Leopards on the other hand will have the chance of breaking their duck on the road when they travel to George for their second promotion/relegation game against the Eagles. The visitors did not win one away game this season.
In the other Absa Currie Cup promotion/relegation game of the weekend, the Eastern Province Kings will have the chance of advancing to next year’s Premier Division competition if they can topple the Barloworld Toyota Pumas at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday at 19h10.
Both sides are currently on three log points after they played out an exciting 36-36 draw at the Puma Stadium in Witbank last Friday. The Barloworld Toyota Pumas ran in six tries while the Kings scored four five-pointers from that game.
However victory for either side in Port Elizabeth with guarantee themselves a place in next year’s Absa Currie Cup Premier Division while the loser will battle it out in next season’s First Division.
The EP Kings have been in superb form at home this season and have only conceded one defeat at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – against the SWD Eagles (25-8). The Barloworld Toyota Pumas on the other hand has only secured two victories on the road this year – against the Xerox Lions (34-27) and the Platinum Leopards (27-26).
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