The weekend’s penultimate round of Carling Currie Cup matches produced another bag full of high drama, with Windhoek Draught Griquas pulling off a stunning comeback win over DHL Western Province, the Airlink Pumas winning their cat fight with the Toyota Cheetahs, and the Sigma Lions finishing their season on a winning note against the Cell C Sharks in Durban.
And in the Carling Currie Cup First Division, the Down Touch Griffons did what was needed to finish top of the Promotion Barometer, thereby securing promotion to the Premier Division next season.
Former Junior Springbok wing Luther Obi scored the winning try at the end of a thrilling encounter to clinch a dramatic 43-41 win for Windhoek Draught Griquas over DHL WP in Stellenbosch on Friday evening, this after the hosts had led by 35-7 and 41-19 earlier in the game.
Despite enjoying home advantage in Bloemfontein, the Toyota Cheetahs suffered their second loss in a row when Jimmy Stonehouse’s Airlink Pumas edged them 29-28 in a thrilling encounter. The Free Staters – who before last weekend’s loss in Kimberley enjoyed an unbeaten run of nine wins on the trot – led 22-14 at the break but they couldn’t contain the Lowvelders’ determined onslaught in the second half.
In the last match of the weekend staged in Durban, the visiting Sigma Lions cut loose in the second half to wipe out a 14-22 halftime deficit for a well-deserved 38-32 bonus-point win, for only their second success of the campaign.
All teams have now played 11 games, except the for Sigma Lions, who have completed their full league commitments and will thus not be in action in the last round.
The Vodacom Bulls, winners of the previous two titles, are leading the league table on 47 points, four points clear of the Toyota Cheetahs, who are sitting second on 43 points.
The two teams are followed by Windhoek Draught Griquas in third on 31 points, Airlink Pumas fourth on 27 points and the Cell C Sharks fifth with 26 points. DHL WP and Sigma Lions both have 15 points, however, the Gauteng side have already completed their fixtures.
In next weekend’s last round of fixtures, the Airlink Pumas host Windhoek Draught Griquas in Nelspruit – where the visitors will need only one log point to secure their spot in the semi-finals – while the Toyota Cheetahs are home to the Vodacom Bulls in Bloemfontein in what will be a straight shoot-out to determine who will top the log, and DHL WP clash with the Cell C Sharks in the last match of the round in Cape Town.
