Week 9 of the Currie Cup saw the semi final spots starting to take shape. Let’s review what happened this past weekend then.
Currie Cup Week 9 Review
Pumas 6 Blue Bulls 37
The Bulls have started to hit some form very late in the competition. They are still do not appear to be genuine title contenders, but their long-suffering fans will be pleased with the improved performances. They did however impress with their performance against this season’s giant killers, the Pumas. They simply had too much up front for the Pumas to deal with and their bench strength was decisive. If they win against Griquas this weekend, they will be off to Cape Town to contest a semi-final against Western Province.
Sharks 26 Lions 23
The Sharks truly squeaked home this time. They did try to run the ball more now that Jake White is out of the picture, but it was the seven kickable penalties that gave them victory. The Lions will be extremely disappointed with their lack of discipline, which really cost them this game. It seems that these two teams will contest the other semi-final, this time in Johannesburg.
Free State Cheetahs 29 Western Province 34
This was a pulsating game of rugby with a lot of entertaining running. As usual, the Cheetahs defense was non-existent. Western Province would do well in addressing their inability to string together 80 consecutive minutes. Whilst unlikely, it could still cost them in that home semi-final against the Bulls.
Griquas 45 EP Kings 25
A case of same old, same old for the Kings. They have a fantastic scrum and some really enterprising runners, but at sixty minutes they are done with and opposition teams tend to score heavily in the last twenty. There will be some heavy spending in Port Elizabeth to invest in next year’s competition. Credit to the Griquas for getting the job done.
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