Blue Bulls and Cheetahs Shaking it up in Week 11 of the Currie Cup

Victories for the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Toyota Free State Cheetahs at the home grounds of the front runners of the Absa Currie Cup ensured the competition is still wide open with just three rounds to go before the semi-finals.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls beat the log leading MTN Golden Lions (21-18) in Johannesburg, while the Toyota Free State Cheetahs were too good for DHL Western Province in Cape Town (34-20).

These results, coupled with The Sharks’ bonus-point victory of 29-18 over GWK Griquas on Friday evening, mean the team from KwaZulu-Natal move into second place on the log, the Free Staters go third and WP drop two places to fourth. The Golden Lions still top the standings and the Blue Bulls are now fifth, passing Griquas in mid-table.

At the bottom of the standings, the Ford Pumas won their second match of the season when they beat the Platinum Leopards by 32-19 in Nelspruit on Friday.

Meanwhile, in the Absa Currie Cup First Division, the Regent Boland Cavaliers gave the EP Kings their first defeat of the season and while these two teams will finish in the top two positions on the log, any of the four other teams can still make it into the semi-finals when the league phase finishes next weekend.

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Log:

• Pos – Team – P – W – D – L – PF – PA – PD – TF – TA – BPts – Pts

1. MTN Golden Lions – 11 – 9 – 0 – 2 – 376 – 247 – 129 – 44 – 24 – 7 – 43
2. The Sharks – 11 – 8 – 0 – 3 – 319 – 283 – 36 – 31 – 25 – 5 – 37
3. Toyota Free State Cheetahs – 11 – 6 – 1 – 4 – 415 – 257 – 158 – 47 – 25 – 9 – 35
4. DHL Western Province – 11 – 6 – 1 – 4 – 331 – 248 – 83 – 35 – 23 – 6 – 32
5. Vodacom Blue Bulls – 11 – 6 – 1 – 4 – 269 – 287 – -18 – 28 – 29 – 2 – 28
6. GWK Griquas – 11 – 4 – 1 – 6 – 304 – 357 – -53 – 35 – 48 – 7 – 25
7. Ford Pumas – 11 – 2 – 0 – 9 – 244 – 358 – -114 – 27 – 43 – 6 – 14
8. Platinum Leopards – 11 – 1 – 0 – 10 – 205 – 426 – -221 – 25 – 55 – 1 – 5

Absa Currie Cup First Division Log:

• Pos – Team – P – W – D – L – PF – PA – PD – TF – TA – BPts – Pts

1. Eastern Province Kings – 10 – 9 – 0 – 1 – 403 – 236 – 167 – 56 – 28 – 6 – 42
2. Regent Boland Cavaliers – 9 – 8 – 0 – 1 – 420 – 163 – 257 – 55 – 21 – 9 – 41
3. Tasol Solar Griffons – 10 – 2 – 0 – 8 – 280 – 366 – -86 – 34 – 49 – 10 – 18
4. SWD Eagles – 9 – 3 – 0 – 6 – 274 – 343 – -69 – 34 – 42 – 4 – 16
5. Valke – 9 – 3 – 0 – 6 – 252 – 367 – -115 – 36 – 49 – 4 – 16
6. Border Bulldogs – 9 – 3 – 0 – 6 – 225 – 379 – -154 – 26 – 52 – 3 – 15