The surprising win by the Lions over the Free State Cheetahs and the close win by Western Province over the Blue Bulls this weekend, has shaken up the Absa Currie Cup log that there are now six contenders for the play-offs in October.
The Lions are now only five points behind the Free State who cannot afford even a single slip lest they let the Lions in. There is also the mouth-watering clash between the two log leaders, unbeaten Western Province and the Sharks, next weekend to decide the top team after the completed first round.
The try-less 15-12 win by Western Province over the Blue Bulls at Newlands on Saturday underlined the fact that the unbeaten Cape side have a problem in scoring tries against the tougher sides - and the log shows that they are only one log point ahead of the Sharks despite the latter's earlier loss to Griquas.
The Blue Bulls remain in the top four despite going down against Western Province. However, their gutsy performance in a match they weren't given a chance to win wasn't enough, and they are now ten log points behind Western Province and nine adrift of the Sharks.
The defending champions seem reliant on some strange wins and losses in the second round to make a home semi-final a reality. It is quite possible in a competition where surprises and near-surprises are now rearing their head and where the form of perceived weaker sides has changed for the better.
Griquas on Friday night bounced back from their drubbing against Western Province the previous week when they beat a resilient Pumas side 58-25 in Kimberley, with Springbok fullback Riaan Viljoen and Sarel Pretorius outstanding. The win was enough to keep Griquas in third place on the log, three points ahead of the Blue Bulls. The third spot, like the top two, will be determined this weekend when these two sides meet at Loftus. The losers could drop to fifth place as the Cheetahs, denied 30-26 right at the end by the committed and exciting Lions on Saturday, are at home to the Leopards on Saturday. It's a match they should win against the competition's bottom side.
