The Currie Cup rolls on into Round six this weekend, the penultimate round before the semi-finals, with plenty at stake across the four fixtures. The Bulls XV are the only side who can no longer mathematically make the semis, while the Sharks and Stormers XXIII must win both of their next two to have any chance of sneaking into the top four. The Pumas and Boland need results to hold onto their top-four spots, while the Cheetahs and Griquas are looking to lock down home semi-finals.
Friday
Pumas v Griquas— Click here to bet
Both sides are in form coming into this game. The Pumas have won their last three, beating Boland away, the Bulls XV away and the Stormers XXIII at home last weekend. Last week’s result ended 29-7.
After losing in the first round away to the Stormers XXIII, the Griquas have won their next four in a row. They hosted the Sharks last weekend and beat them 55-21.
Head-to-Head
What might come as a surprise to some, the Pumas have won all of the last six matches between the two sides. In the last two years they have met in Nelspruit, where the Pumas won 49-28 and 66-26.
Betting and Verdict
The Griquas are favourites at 1.87 while the Pumas are trading at 2.05 with the draw priced at 29.00. The handicap is Pumas +0.5.
With both teams coming into the game on such solid form, it is hard to call exactly who is going to win, but after looking at the H2H and seeing that the Griquas have lost their last five against the Pumas, both meetings in Nelspruit by huge margins, we can’t see them turning that around this weekend, and will back the Pumas to keep their run going.
Suggested Bet: Pumas win at 2.05.
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Bulls XV v Stormers XXIII— Click here to bet
After nearly pulling off one of the best comebacks of all time in last week’s match against the Cheetahs, the Bulls XV fell just short and lost the match 52-62 for yet another defeat. They are still yet to win a match this season.
The Stormers XXIII are coming into this week off the back of back-to-back losses, having lost to the Cheetahs at home in round four, 31-26, and away against the Pumas in round five, 29-7.
Head-to-Head
The Bulls have had the upper hand in the Currie Cup over the last two years, winning the last two matches against the Stormers. The last time the two sides met in Pretoria, the Bulls won 50-34.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Bulls at 2.25 while the Stormers are trading at 1.78 and the draw is priced at 22.00. The handicap is Bulls +1.5 at 1.87.
The Stormers XXIII still have a chance at making the semi-finals while the Bulls XV mathematically can’t. However, with nothing to lose, the performance they put up in the second-half of last week’s match, and their strong recent record against the Stormers XXIII, we think the Bulls XV can finally pull off their first win of the season at home in Pretoria.
Suggested Bet: Bulls XV win at 2.25.
Sharks v Lions — Click here to bet
The Sharks have had a tough season, winning just two of their five matches. They played the Griquas in Kimberley last week and lost the match 55-21.
The Lions are coming into the game off the back of back-to-back losses, first to the Griquas away from home, 31-19, and then in a big upset last weekend when they lost 38-29 to Boland at home.
Head-to-Head
The Lions lead the H2H 4-1 in the last five matches across all competitions. The last time the sides met in the Currie Cup, the Lions won the match 46-5 in Johannesburg.
Betting and Verdict
The Sharks are at 2.35 while the Lions are at 1.67 with the draw priced at 36.00. The handicap is Lions -2.5.
The Lions are currently sitting fifth on the table, just three points behind Boland. They know they will need a win if they want to stand any real chance of making the semi-finals. They have also looked stronger than the Sharks this season in terms of results, although they have won the same amount of games, the Lions have scored 169 points and conceded 146, while the Sharks have only scored 115 and conceded 170. We do think the Lions will pull off a win in Durban this weekend and can beat a small handicap.
Suggested Bet: Lions -2.5 at 1.91
SUNDAY
Cheetahs v Boland — Click here to bet
The Cheetahs have lost just one game this season, against the Griquas away from home, and currently sit second on the log tied on 21 points with the Griquas. They know how important finishing on top will be if they want a home semi-final. They played the Bulls XV last week in Pretoria and won the match 62-52.
Boland have won three of their five matches and managed to pull off a huge win last week as they beat the Lions 38-29 in Johannesburg.
Head-to-Head
The head-to-head doesn’t offer much, with only four matches between the two sides since 2015. The one game we can meaningfully look at is last year’s fixture, where Boland beat the Cheetahs 37-35 at home. The previous encounter before that was all the way back in 2016.
Betting and Verdict
The Cheetahs are favourites and are trading at 1.29 for the win, while Boland are trading at 4.25 and the draw is at 29.00. The handicap is Cheetahs -8.5.
The Cheetahs have looked extremely strong this season and lead the competition in points scored, while Boland have scored the fewest points of any of the top five teams. Although we do think Boland will be able to put up a fight, we think the Cheetahs will be too strong in Bloemfontein and should be able to cover the 8.5 point handicap.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Cheetahs [-8.5] at 1.91.
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
