Crunch Free State derby on the cards in the SA Cup

A big Free State derby between the Toyota Cheetahs and NovaVit Griffons is one of the big games in the fifth round of the SA Cup, with a number of other intriguing matches lined up as the race for the top four qualification positions for the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division heats up.

Defending champions Suzuki Griquas and 2024 finalists Airlink Pumas are leading the standings with the maximum 20 league points, having won all four of their matches so far.

Below them, an interesting race is developing between the NovaVit Griffons (third, 16 points), Sanlam Boland Kavaliers (fourth, 13 points), Toyota Cheetahs (fifth, 12 points), and Valke (sixth, 11 points).

With just four regular league games remaining before the semifinals on the weekend of 17 May, the contenders below the unbeaten pacesetters know they cannot afford any slip-ups.

Two matches are set to take place on Friday, while the remaining three fixtures will be contested on Saturday. Phangela SWD Eagles will kick off the weekend’s action Friday when they host Valke at 3:30pm at the picturesque Outeniqua Park in George.

The Eagles suffered a heavy loss last week against the high-flying Pumas in George, and the Valke, who are two positions higher on the log, will be another big test for the men from the Garden Route. The East Randers have their sights set on a top-four position, so they can be expected to target this encounter as another opportunity to move up the ladder.

The 2024 runners up, the Airlink Pumas, should have too much firepower for last-placed Border Bulldogs when the two meet later on Friday evening 7pm in Nelspruit. Both fixtures in George and Nelspruit will be live-streamed by SuperSport.

Saturday’s first fixture starts at 14h00 in Kimberley between defending champions Suzuki Griquas and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers. The men from Kimberley have collected a league-best tally of 304 points so far and have only conceded 58, giving them a points differential of 116 points better than the second-placed Pumas.

This gulf in points illustrates the mammoth task awaiting the Kavaliers in Kimberley, where the holders haven’t lost a game since the competition's inception. This will easily be Boland’s most difficult game of the tournament, so it will be interesting to see how Hawies Fourie’s team rise to the occasion as they aim to stay in the race.

Then the focus moves to Bloemfontein for the Free State derby between the Toyota Cheetahs and their northern neighbours, the NovaVit Griffons. The Northern Free Staters are enjoying a much better campaign than their hosts, who are coached by former Springbok star Frans Steyn.

As things stand, the men from Welkom have four more log points than the Toyota Cheetahs. Last week, the Griffons gave a good account of themselves before bowing to pace-setters Griquas, while the Cheetahs had to fight tooth and nail to beat Eastern Province.

In the corresponding fixture last year between the two neighbours, the Griffons emerged victorious by just three points in Welkom. However, playing in Bloemfontein might give the Cheetahs that extra lift against a very difficult derby opponent.

Meanwhile, in Gqeberha, Eastern Province will be aiming for their second win of the season when they host the Leopards from 15h00 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. EP are three league points better off and two places above the second-last Leopards, who last week enjoyed their first win of the season against Border.

Despite having only one win in the bag so far, EP has been competitive in all their games and at times unlucky not to close out matches successfully. The hosts will regard themselves as favourites against a Leopards outfit who have managed to score only 45 points in four games to date.