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Vodacom Cup – All the permutations

PUBLISHED: April 24, 2013


The Steval Pumas and the Sharks XV are in. So are the champions from the last three seasons, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, DHL Western Province and the ICBC Pampas XV.

But six other teams have their work cut out for them if they are going to reach the Vodacom Cup quarterfinals this year.

The league phase of the Vodacom Cup comes to an end this weekend and for the Valke, Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls, SWD Eagles, Regent Boland Cavaliers and Border Bulldogs it will be their last match of this competition in 2013.

However, a group of six teams that have won no less than nine Vodacom Cup titles between them – the Leopards XV, GWK Griquas, MTN Golden Lions, Down Touch Griffons, EP Kings and Toyota Free State XV – will be going all out to secure those last three quarterfinal spots.

The quarterfinals will be contested at the home grounds of the top two teams in each section. The match-ups will be across the sections, meaning North 1 will host South 4, South 1 will play North 4, North 2 will take on South 3 and South 2 will host North 3.

NORTH SECTION:

All four matches in this section will have a bearing on the final standings, with only two of the five teams in the running for places in the quarterfinals, the Steval Pumas and Vodacom Blue Bulls, assured of advancing to the quarterfinals.

One log point from their match against the Leopards XV will be enough to secure the Steval Pumas home ground advantage in the quarterfinals, but if they win in Potchefstroom, the team from Mpumalanga will top the log.

The Leopards XV, on the other hand, can still be overtaken by both GWK Griquas and the MTN Golden Lions, which would see them miss out on a play-off spot altogether.

Considering the teams from Kimberley (away to the Valke) and Johannesburg (at home against the Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls) have easier final round fixtures, the Leopards XV will want to go out all guns blazing on Friday evening.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls will be favourites when they host the Down Touch Griffons in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon and will secure home ground advantage in the play-offs with a win in this match.

The Northern Free Staters can still slip in through the back door if they manage to beat the Vodacom Blue Bulls with a try-scoring bonus point and both GWK Griquas and the MTN Golden Lions lose without their matches.

SOUTH SECTION:

The top four in the South Section is virtually done and dusted, with the Toyota Free State XV a slim outside chance of beating the EP Kings to the quarterfinals.

But home ground advantage is still up for grabs, with a number of possible permutations as the Sharks XV, DHL Western Province, ICBC Pampas XV and the EP Kings fight it out to move into the top two.

A win for the KwaZulu-Natalians, at home on Friday against the Argentineans, will be enough to see them clinch first position on the log, but the ICBC Pampas XV, champions in 2011, can still overtake DHL Western Province into second position on the log.

By the time the Free Staters’ match against DHL Western Province kicks-off at 16h45 in Bloemfontein, both teams will know exactly what is needed for them to make it into the top four or to get home-ground advantage in the quarterfinals.

But this encounter will count for nothing for the Toyota Free State XV if the EP Kings, away to the Regent Boland Cavaliers, manage to secure a solitary bonus point in Wellington. It would move the Kings to 21 points, and the team from Bloemfontein cannot go higher than 20.

Nothing more than bragging rights are up for grabs when the SWD Eagles and the Border Bulldogs’ campaigns come to an end in George on Saturday afternoon.

ROUND SEVEN FIXTURES:
(Current log position and total points in the two sections for each team in brackets)

Friday, 26 April:

Sharks XV (first, 24) v ICBC Pampas XV (third, 21)
Kick-off: 18h00
Venue: Kings Park, Durban

Leopards XV (third, 20) v Steval Pumas (first, 25)
Kick-off: 19h00
Venue: Profert Olën Park, Potchefstroom

SWD Eagles (sixth, 9) v Border Bulldogs (eighth, 5)
Kick-off: 19h10
Venue: Outeniqua Park, George

Saturday, 27 April:

Vodacom Blue Bulls (second, 23) v Down Touch Griffons (sixth, 13)
Kick-off: 14h45
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Valke (seventh, 9) v GWK Griquas (fourth, 17)
Kick-off: 15h00
Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park

MTN Golden Lions (fifth, 16) v Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls (eighth, 0)
Kick-off: 15h00
Venue: Alberton Rugby Club, Alberton

Regent Boland Cavaliers (seventh, 8) v EP Kings (fourth, 20)
Kick-off: 16h00
Venue: Malmesbury

Toyota Free State XV (fifth, 15) v DHL Western Province (second, 22)
Kick-off: 16h45
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein