Bulls Were Rubbish; Lions Mean Business

Currie Cup SuperBru Was A Mess

For the first time ever, yours truly receive the dreaded “duck” badge for my SuperBru. An example of distinct underachievement, getting zero out of three picks is quite humiliating, and my mates have ensured that I will never live this down! I’m involved in a rather lucrative money pool concerning the Currie Cup, so I have to sort my story out next week…

Upset City

Every result this past weekend was an upset! A monumental upset. No one in their right mind – except their touchy fans – expected the Lions to march into Bloemfontein and turn over title favourites, the Cheetahs, but it happened. The Sharks were in full Banana Boys mode, somehow tossing away what seemed like a certain win against the motivated Pumas, who must be given credit for hanging in there and actually finishing strongly. As for the Griquas thumping the Bulls at Loftus, I did say that we should consider them as dark horses to win the tournament, and they showed why.

WP Were The Biggest Winners

After two costly losses in succession, the Streeptruie will be relieved that their semifinal hopes are still intact as a result of how Round Three turned out. The Bulls and Sharks were dragged into a four-way relegation battle, meaning that Western Province hangs onto that last playoff spot by virtue of points difference. The Pumas are tied with them on seven points - below in fifth place - so this coming weekend’s match at Newlands has a lot riding on it, considering how tough the home team’s run-in is. No more room for error!

The Cheetahs Will Always Cheetah

Trust the Cheetahs to implode from a winning position! As much as the Lions were impressive in how they came back from a 0-19 deficit, you have got to ask how their hosts blew such a lead. Patently the best team in the competition, the Cheetahs let themselves down badly, and will be embarrassed by the complacency which left the door open for the Lions. On the other hand, such a wake-up call can only be bad news for their opponents, as the team from Bloemfontein will get their mojo back, reaffirming them as the team to beat for the famous trophy.

Don’t Sleep On The Lions

… If you are, then wake the hell up! They mean business. After an unconvincing win in their first match against the Pumas at home, the Lions were expected to lose in Cape Town a week later. After being 10-21 down and thoroughly outplayed by Province, the visitors suddenly hit fifth gear, clawing themselves back into the game before winning 30-28. This was meant to be an aberration, as normal service would resume against the Cheetahs. It was a carbon copy of the previous game, but this comeback was far more impressive against the pace-setters. Kudos to Swys de Bruin and his boys for digging deep and setting themselves nicely for a possible home semifinal. Notably, the side’s fitness levels appeared to carry them past all three of their opponents, which reinforced their reputation as the fittest team in the country.