Elimination time in the Vodacom Cup
Any slip-ups this weekend will be punished with elimination when the Vodacom Cup quarterfinals take place around the country on Friday and Saturday.
In fact, the Eagles are in the quarterfinals for only the second time since the competition started in 1998. They made the top eight in 2009 and also played in the semi-finals in the inaugural season of this competition.
For the Sharks XV, Pumas, Western Province, Blue Bulls, Griquas and Golden Lions, this will be the fourth consecutive season they have all reached the knockout stage.
The defending champions, the Golden Lions, will travel to Durban to face South Section table-toppers, the Sharks XV, at 3pm on Friday afternoon at Kings Park.
The Sharks won their first six pool matches before coming unstuck against the EP Kings in Durban last weekend, which would serve as a timely wake-up call.
Last year, the team from Johannesburg also ended fourth on the North Section log. They proceeded to the final against the Pumas after beating the Sharks XV 42-25 and Western Province 44-25.
The Pumas finished the pool phase as the only unbeaten team and deservedly topped the North Section log. They host Western Province, champions in 2012, in the second quarterfinal, at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Friday evening at 7.10pm.
Province also saw the red flag raised last weekend when they went down to the Eagles in George. It was only the Capetonians' second defeat of the season and they will travel to Nelspruit knowing full well a similar performance will see them eliminated from the competition.
Both of Saturday's matches, in Bloemfontein and Kimberley, are scheduled for a 3pm kick-off.
Griquas, four-time champions, will host third-placed South Section side, the high-flying Eagles, at GWK Park in Kimberley. It will be a tough task for the side from George, who are playing in their first knockout round since 2009.
The team from the Northern Cape have hosted a quarterfinal every season since 2010, with last year being the exception. After the Golden Lions, who have won the competition five times, Griquas are the most successful Vodacom Cup team in history.
The fourth quarterfinal is between the two teams that contested the 2010 final when the Free State XV take on the Blue Bulls at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The team from Pretoria have won the competition three times, the last being four years ago when they beat the Free Staters in a nail-biter in Pretoria, winning the match thanks to an injury-time drop-goal by Francois Brummer.
This time, however, the Free State XV have home ground advantage, where they have lost only once this season, against the Sharks XV.
Source : Sapa /jlb