Currie Cup roundup: It’s wide open with three pool rounds remaining

The Currie Cup competition is wide open and heading towards a thrilling finish in the upcoming pool phase, with seven of the eight teams still in contention for the semifinals. Only three more rounds remain before the knockout stage begins. The Griquas and Cheetahs are currently leading the pack, both sitting at the top with 16 points, while Kimberly is just behind them on 15 points, thanks to a superior points difference.

The Lions are in third place with 12 points, level with the Pumas who are fourth. The Boland Cavaliers and Stormers are fifth and sixth respectively on 11 points, with the Sharks in seventh place on 10 points. Although not mathematically out of contention, the Bulls are unlikely to make the semifinals, as they sit at the bottom of the log on three points.

They would need to win all of their remaining pool games and hope for favorable results from other teams to have any chance.

The weekend of action kicked off with the Griquas' impressive 31-19 home win over the Lions, followed by the Cheetahs' remarkable comeback 31-26 victory over the Stormers in Cape Town. In the Kimberly match, the Lions made a poor showing, trailing the Griquas from the start and never recovering. The Griquas scored two early unconverted tries and built a commanding lead, which they never relinquished.

The Cheetahs' win was down to some lucky breaks, as they battled against a strong Stormers side before snatching the win at the death. The other matches saw the Pumas secure a 33-31 victory over the Bulls, with goal kicking being the decisive factor, and the Sharks triumphing 19-12 against the Cavaliers in Durban.