Milestones in SuperSport Rugby Challenge as teams push for top eight spots
It will make or break for a number of teams hoping to become the inaugural SuperSport Rugby Challenge champions when the penultimate round of pool matches are contested over the next three days.
Two matches will be played on Thursday, two on Friday and two on Saturday, with one match per day being broadcast on SuperSport as rugby is not only taken to communities all over the country but onto new TV screens as well.
There will be a special moment at Wesbank Rugby Club Stadium in Malmesbury on Saturday, where two Boland Cavaliers stalwarts will reach special milestones. Hooker Clemen Lewis will play in his 150th match for his province and captain and No 8, Zandré Jordaan will bring up a ton of appearances when the home side takes on SWD.
Lewis is a born and bred Bolander. He was born in Wellington 33 years ago and schooled at Boland Landbou near Wellington, a school that has produced a healthy dose of Springboks.
Lewis first gained provincial colors in 2002 for DHL Western Province Under-19 before a short stint in Pretoria saw him represent the Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-20’s and Vodacom Cup team in 2003. He made his senior debut for Boland in 2005 and has been a stalwart since. He also represented the SA Barbarians in 2012.
The 30-year-old Jordaan has been a real warrior for the province as well. He attended primary school in Vredenburg and matriculated at Paarl Boys High School.
Jordaan played for Western Province at the U18 Coca-Cola Academy Week and for the DHL Western Province at Under-19, Under-21 and Vodacom Cup level before he moved to Boland, where he played since 2009. Jordaan also spends a season with SWD in 2015. He was part of the FNB Maties team that won the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International in 2008 and played for the President’s XV in the IRB Cup in Tbilisi in 2013.
DHL Western Province has already secured their spot at the top of the South Section standings and has a bye this weekend, but Border and Eastern Province will be fighting for the second qualifying spot when they meet at BCM Stadium in East London on Thursday.
Boland still has an outside chance of pipping both Border and EP into the second spot on the log, but a home win for Border should confirm their place in the playoffs.
A crucial match will be played in Kimberley on Thursday, where log leaders in the Central Section, Tafel Lager Griquas will host Cell C Sharks XV. The visitors have to win to keep their top eight chances alive, while in Potchefstroom, the Leopards will have a final throw of the dice against Down Touch Griffons on Friday. The home side could move into second place with a solid win, but the Cell C Sharks XV have a game in hand. A win in Kimberley for the KZN side will knock the Leopards out of the race.
The North Section should see the Xerox Golden Lions XV strengthen their play-off credentials, although the Hino Valke is good enough to beat any of the top dogs on the day. The Steval Pumas travel to Namibia for the first time where the Windhoek Draught Welwitschias will be desperate to finish their tournament on a winning note. The visitors need the win to keep them in the North Section playoff race.
SuperSport Rugby Challenge Round 8 fixtures:
Thursday 15 June
Border Bulldogs vs Eastern Province
Buffalo City Municipal Stadium, East London
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Television match official: Christie du Preez
Kick-off 16h00
TV: SS1
Tafel Lager Griquas vs Cell C Sharks XV
Tafel Lager Park, Kimberley
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Kick-off: 19h00
Friday, 16 June
Hino Valke vs Xerox Golden Lions XV
Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
Television match official: Willie Vos
Kick-off: 14h30
TV: SS1
Leopards vs Down Touch Griffons
Olën Park, Potchefstroom
Referee: Jaco Pretorius
Kick-off: 18h00
Saturday 17 June
Windhoek Draught Welwitschias vs Steval Pumas
Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
Referee: Ben Crouse
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman
Kick-off: 13h00
TV: SS1
Boland Cavaliers vs South Western Districts Eagles
Wesbank, Malmesbury
Referee: Lesego Legoete
Kick-off: 15h00
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
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