Teams from four United Rugby Championship (URC) franchises in South Africa find themselves in a critical position in the domestic Currie Cup tournament, as they have only two weekends left in the round-robin stage and risk missing out on the playoffs.
The fifth team, the Lions, and the sixth team, the Stormers XXIII, need positive results to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals, and their battle begins Friday evening when the Lions face Sharks XV in Durban. For the Cape Town team, Friday's derby at Loftus Versfeld could decide whether they can reach the final round with a chance of achieving their goal—making the playoffs this year.
Before traveling to Pretoria, the Stormers are likely to make some changes to their squad after injuries hampered them in a major defeat against the Pumas in Mbombela. Despite this setback, they are not giving up the fight for a playoff spot. Stormers XXIII head coach Tom Dawson-Squibb stated that these changes could inject new energy into the team, and they aim to perform well at Loftus.
In the Lions' camp, the situation apparently has not unfolded as planned for their campaign, and Friday's clash with the Sharks might allow them to climb to fourth place ahead of the Boland Cavaliers if they secure a win. However, up to this point, the Johannesburg team's campaign has been largely disappointing, despite initially being considered one of the strong sides.
Boland faces another tense match after their game against the Lions as they fight for a spot in the top four. On Sunday, they will play against the team of former coach Howies Fury, the Cheetahs, in Bloemfontein. Previously, when these two teams met in the SA Cup at Toyota Stadium, the visitors won. Securing another victory over the Cheetahs could guarantee them a place in the playoffs.
