The penultimate round of the SA Rugby U21 Cup will be staged this weekend after the teams enjoyed a brief break last weekend, while the Harmony Griffons continued with their dominance in the SA Rugby U21 Shield competition, where Sanlam Boland emerged victors in their Western Cape derby.
DHL Western Province suffered a 45-24 loss to the Fidelity ADT Lions two weeks ago in Johannesburg in the U21 Cup, but the Junior Bok-laden defending champions should bounce back to winning ways this coming Friday when they host last-placed Leopards in a 13h00 kick-off at City Park in Cape Town.
Second-placed Hollywoodbets Sharks take on the Fidelity ADT Lions at the same venue at the Crusaders Rugby Club grounds in Durban in an intriguing battle that will have a huge bearing on home-ground advantage in the semi-finals. The two rivals are currently separated by just one point on the log, with the Durbanites holding the edge as both teams have won five of their eight games to date.
The Vodacom Bulls and Toyota Cheetahs clash at 14:00 at the Loftus B-field, with the Pretoria outfit determined to consolidate their spot amongst the top four. The Bulls are just two points behind the third-placed Lions.
Elsewhere in junior provincial competitions, it was business as usual over the past weekend, with the teams heading into their final round of league action before the knockout stages commence. The results from the past weekend have solidified the top contenders and set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the league phase.
In the SA Rugby U21 Shield, the Griffons have maintained their dominance in the northern section with a decisive 56-34 victory over the Valke. This win keeps them as the only unbeaten team in their pool and firmly in the top spot.
In the other clash in the northern section, the Pumas beat Griquas 45-17 in their meeting staged at the White River Rugby Club north of Nelspruit.
In the southern section, Boland also held onto their first place after a convincing 52-31 win against SWD, while Eastern Province won the battle of the Eastern Cape derby by 38-36 over Border.
This coming weekend will see the last round of league action in the U21 Shield. In the northern section, Griquas host the Valke in Kimberley from 13:00 on Saturday, and that encounter is followed by the one in Polokwane where the Limpopo Blue Bulls face the Pumas in their 15:00 kick-off.
In the southern division, EP hosts SWD 12:00 on Friday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, while Border and Boland clash in a vital encounter on Saturday at 15:00 in East London.
The SA Rugby U19 Cup also return this weekend after a break, with three matches scheduled for Friday. WP host the Leopards in Cape Town, the Sharks take on the Lions in Durban, and the Cheetahs travel to Pretoria to face the Bulls.