Five teams hunt back-to-back SA Cup wins

Suzuki Griquas, the Griffons, Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, Valke and Airlink Pumas all hit the ground running in the SA Cup last week and with four coveted Carling Currie Cup Premier Division spots on the line, there is everything to play for as they look to carry that winning momentum into an exciting second round of action this weekend.

The teams finishing in the top four positions at the end of the SA Cup league phase will not only contest the two semi-finals but also gain automatic qualification to the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division.

The SA Cup second round kicks off 6.30pm on Friday evening in Potchefstroom where Leopards host the Toyota Cheetahs at Olen Park. That encounter is followed by the Nelspruit match at 7pm, when the Pumas entertain Eastern Province.

Two fixtures will be staged on Saturday afternoon – the Valke host Griquas from 3pm in Kempton Park, while the Border Bulldogs and SWD Eagles kick off 3.30pm in East London.

The final match of the weekend is on Sunday afternoon in Wellington, where the Kavaliers host the Griffons.

The Cheetahs have been dominant in their fixture with the Leopards over the last two years. In the inaugural 2024 season, they scored a huge 76-5 win in Potchefstroom and last year they secured a 69–0 shut-out in Bloemfontein.

After their opening-round loss to Boland last week, the Free Staters will be looking for a repeat of their previous high-scoring performances to get their campaign back on track in Potch. For the Leopards, it’s about defensive pride after conceding over 100 points to Griquas last weekend.

In Friday evening’s other fixture, to be staged in the Mbombela Stadium, hosts Airlink Pumas have the upper hand in this match the past two years, beating EP 61-0 in Nelspruit two years ago and 61-22 last season in Gqeberha. EP showed plenty of promise in their narrow loss to the Valke last week, but facing the defending champions in Nelspruit is a daunting task.

The Valke entertain Griquas in the Barnard Stadium in a clash between two former champions. Valke won the Mzansi Challenge in 2023 while Griquas were the inaugural SA Cup winners in 2024. The men from Kimberley come into this meeting as the form team after their 101-7 demolition of the Leopards, however, the Valke are a difficult side to master in Kempton Park.

Border moved their clash with SWD Eagles from Mdantsane to the Cove Event & Sports Venue in Nahoon near East London.

This has historically been a closely contested coastal battle. Two seasons ago, the Eagles took the spoils 40-25 in Mdantsane and last year they were again victorious by a margin of 26 points. Both teams have struggled for consistency in the competition, finishing in the bottom half of the log.

Under the mentorship of former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, SWD have shown they can compete with the best after nearly upsetting the Pumas last week, while Border will be desperate for a win.

The last clash of the round happens on Sunday in Wellington between the Kavaliers and the Griffons, where the action starts at 4pm. Meetings between these two have developed into a great rivalry of late, while the Bolanders and Northern Free Staters have traded blows for years in their battle for honours in the Carling Currie Cup First Division.

Two years ago, the Griffons edged a thriller 34-31 in Wellington, while last year they won by a margin of just three points, 38-35 in Welkom. Although they trail 2-0 in this fixture, the Kavaliers are nowadays a resurgent force under Hawies Fourie, as evident by their impressive away win last week over the Cheetahs.

Fixtures

Leopards v Toyota Cheetahs - Friday @ Olën Park, Potchefstroom (6.30pm)

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron

Airlink Pumas v Eastern Province - Friday @ Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit (7pm)

Referee: Stephan Geldenhuys

TV: SuperSport

Valke v Suzuki Griquas - Saturday @ Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park (3pm)

Referee: Hanru van Rooyen

TV: SuperSport

Border Bulldogs v SWD Eagles - Saturday @ The Cove Event & Sports Venue, East London (3.30pm)

Referee: Paul Mente

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers v Griffons - Sunday @ Boland Stadium, Wellington (4pm)

Referee: Sean Muller