First Division Preview: Round Seven

 Aug 10,2012

Written by: SARugby.com Editor

The Eastern Province Kings will look to take a firm grip on this year's expanded eight-team Absa Currie Cup First Division when they host the Leopards in a top-of-the-table clash in Port Elizabeth on Friday night.

The Kings, who drew 30-all with the Ford Pumas in Nelspruit last weekend, are the only unbeaten side left in the competition. The men from Port Elizabeth hold a two-point lead over the Leopards 53-28 victors over the Border Bulldogs in Round 6 going into the final match of the first round.

The other three matches in Round 7 all take place on Saturday afternoon. Defending champions the Regent Boland Kavaliers will look to build on their long-overdue first win of the season last weekend 79-26 over the Valke in Worcester when they travel to East London to face the winless Bulldogs.

Early-season pace-setters the Griffons, who have slipped to third on the table following two defeats including a 20-13 reversal in George last weekend against the SWD Eagles will want to get back to winning ways when they host the fourth-placed Ford Pumas at the North West Stadium in Welkom.

The Eagles, whose win in George over the Griffons took them to fifth on the table, will travel to the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park to play the Valke, currently in seventh and licking their wounds following their 50-point defeat to the Kavaliers last weekend.

Eastern Province Kings flyhalf George Whitehead tops the First Division point-scoring log after Round 6, with 80 points made up of three tries, 16 conversions and 11 penalties. Behind Whitehead in second place is Regent Boland Kavaliers flyhalf Elgar Watts on 67, with former Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius, now of the Leopards, third on 62.

Leopards wing Allister Kettledas still leads the try-scoring stakes with seven touchdowns but he has been joined at the top of the pile by teammates Danie Dames (7) and Philip de Wet (6).

This weekend's fixtures Round 7:

EP Kings vs Leopards

Date: Friday, 10 August

Kickoff: 19:00

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Referee: Lesego Legoete

Assistants: Jason Jaftha, Christie du Preez

Last meeting: 4 March 2011 in Potchefstroom (Vodacom Cup): Leopards won 31-25

Griffons vs Ford Pumas

Date: Saturday, 11 August

Kickoff: 15:00

Venue: North West Stadium, Welkom

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan

Assistants: Pieter Janse van Vuuren, Francois de Bruin

Last meeting: 23 March 2012 in Welkom (Vodacom Cup): Pumas won 43-12

Border Bulldogs vs Regent Boland Kavaliers

Date: Saturday, 11 August

Kickoff: 15:00

Venue: Buffalo City Municipal Stadium, East London

Referee: Ben Crouse

Assistants: Sindile Mayende, Fumanekile Yamile

Last meeting: 20 April 2012 in Wellington (Vodacom Cup): Kavaliers won 45-40

Valke vs SWD Eagles

Date: Saturday, 11 August

Kickoff: 15:00

Venue: Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park

Referee: Craig Joubert

Assistants: Matt Kemp, Pieter de Villiers

Television match official: Shaun Veldsman

Last meeting: 24 September 2011 in Kempton Park (First Division): Valke won 53-45

Round 6 results:

Leopards 53-28 Border Bulldogs

Regent Boland Kavaliers 79-26 Valke

SWD Eagles 20-13 Griffons

Ford Pumas 30-30 EP Kings

Round 5 results:

Griffons 10-34 EP Kings

Valke 22-51 Leopards

SWD Eagles 21-21 Regent Boland Kavaliers

Border Bulldogs 18-51 Ford Pumas

Round 4 results:

EP Kings 56-5 Border Bulldogs

Regent Boland Kavaliers 20-23 Griffons

Leopards 68-35 SWD Eagles

Ford Pumas 36-35 Valke

Round 3 results:

Valke 20-37 EP Kings

SWD Eagles 22-16 Ford Pumas

Griffons 29-24 Border Bulldogs

Regent Boland Kavaliers 21-23 Leopards

Round 2 results:

EP Kings 38-15 SWD Eagles

Border Bulldogs 11-33 Valke

Ford Pumas 33-10 Regent Boland Kavaliers

Griffons 41-20 Leopards

Round 1 results:

Regent Boland Kavaliers 20-25 EP Kings

SWD Eagles 46-8 Border Bulldogs

Leopards 32-23 Ford Pumas

Valke 27-37 Griffons


 

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