Durbanville-Bellville and Hamilton’s, lying first and second (respectively) on the WP Super League A log, will continue their ding-dong battle for 2014 Community Cup qualification this weekend.
Durb-Bell and Hamilton’s will play host to Tygerberg and Belhar, respectively, this weekend as the club season enters the final straight in the Cape. (CLICK HERE for the full log standings.)
Of course, the university teams, UCT (fourth place) and Stellenbosch (third place), have again joined the fray and they will challenge for the Super League title, despite not being eligible for the Community Cup (as they are Varsity Cup teams).
In other club action around the country, the new cross-border Predator Super League heads for the Lions’ den on Saturday when Pirates and Pretoria Police clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in a curtain-raiser to the sold-out Vodacom Super Rugby play-off match between the MTN Lions and Southern Kings.
The opportunity to play on the hallowed turf where South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup will surely be a career highlight for most of the players involved, while the two sides will also want to end off their respective seasons on a high with a morale-boosting victory.
The Pretoria Bobbies’ season began promisingly with a sixth-placed finish in the inaugural Cell C Community Cup, but Nico Luus’ side suffered three defeats in the Blue Bulls’ Carlton League to finish fourth behind Tuks, Centurion and Oostelikes and so fall out of contention for next year’s national tournament. Police are also out of the running in the Predator, their four points placing them third in Pool D behind leaders UJ (10) and Pirates (6) with just one round to play.
A bonus-point victory for Pirates, who enjoyed a solid 125th-anniversary season in the Golden Lions’ Pirates Grand Challenge, could yet see them qualify for the semi-finals on 17 August, but the smart money is on UJ beating Pretoria Harlequins and then facing either Lions champions Roodepoort or Valke champions Brakpan in the last four.
Saturday’s top-of-the-table Pool A match between Brakpan and Roodepoort is shaping up as one of the most keenly anticipated clashes of the year. Since finishing the Community Cup in third and seventh place respectively, both sides have been unbeaten in their domestic leagues and both have beaten fellow Pool A rivals Tuks in the past fortnight.
The match, which was originally scheduled to also take place at Ellis Park, will now be played at Bosman Stadium after Brakpan elected to rather play in front of their home fans at a venue where the ‘Panne have not lost for two years.
In other Predator matches, Pool B leaders Raiders, who came within a conversion of qualifying for the Community Cup Easter Championships in George, will go through to the Predator semi-finals should they beat second-placed Centurion at home. And should they do so, the Longdale side will most likely set up a rematch against the self-same Rustenburg Impala against whom they drew 30-all in the Community Cup.
Impala lead Pool C by four points from Wits and they will want to make their home-field advantage count when they host high-flying Oostelikes Eagles from Pretoria, who are lying third. In the other match, Wits are expected to grab a full haul against NWU Vaal, which will place the pressure squarely on Impala.
Elsewhere around the country, the race for the remaining slots in the 2014 Community Cup is gathering pace. Seven teams are confirmed for the second edition of SARU’s elite tournament for non-university clubs – College Rovers (KZN), Brakpan (Falcons), Roodepoort (Golden Lions), Sishen (Griquas), GAP Despatch (defending champions), Bloemfontein Crusaders (Free State) and newcomers Centurion (Blue Bulls).
The penultimate round of the EP Grand Challenge sees log leaders Despatch and second-placed Spring Rose separated by just a single point ahead of their matches against lowly United Barbarians and St Marks respectively.
Unbeaten SWD champions Evergreens are away to second-placed Barbarians in the Premier League with just a month to go before the play-offs, while third-placed Wesbank host Boland Premier League champions Villagers Worcester, currently second, in a vital match in Malmesbury.
2013 WP Super League A fixtures, Saturday (Week 18 of 24):
Durb-Bell v Tygerberg
Hamiltons v Belhar
Victorians v UCT
Helderberg v Maties
