The Eastern Province Kings will look to retain their unbeaten record in this year’s expanded eight-team Absa Currie Cup First Division when they travel to Nelspruit tonight to take on the fourth-placed Ford Pumas.
In Friday’s other match, the Griffons, who have slipped from first to third on the table following their first loss of the season last week to the Kings, will play the fifth-placed SWD Eagles in George.
Defending champions the Regent Boland Kavaliers, currently in seventh place with four losses and a draw from their five matches, will be looking for their first victory of the season on Saturday when they host the sixth-placed Valke, with just one win under their belt this year, in Worcester.
The weekend’s final match sees the second-placed Leopards at home to the winless Border Bulldogs, who have just one log point from their five matches to date.
Eastern Province Kings flyhalf George Whitehead tops the First Division point-scoring log after Round 5, with 65 points made up of three tries, 13 conversions and eight penalties. Just behind Whitehead is Griffons wing Reinhardt Erwee on 53, with Valke No 10 Karlo Aspeling in third place on 50.
Leopards wing Allister Kettledas leads the try-scoring stakes with seven touchdowns, followed by teammate Danie Dames with six and Ford Pumas flanker Jaco Bouwer, Valke fullback JW Bell and Griffons flyhalf Tertius Maarman, who each have four.
This weekend’s fixtures – Round 6:
Ford Pumas vs EP Kings
- Date: Friday, 3 August
- Kickoff: 19:10
- Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
- Referee: Jaco Peyper
- Assistants: Rasta Rasivhenge, Stefan Breytenbach
- Television match official: Johan Greeff
Last meeting: 4 May 2012 in Nelspruit (Vodacom Cup): Pumas won 40-19
SWD Eagles vs Griffons
- Date: Friday, 3 August
- Kickoff: 19:10
- Venue: Outeniqua Park, George
- Referee: Lusanda Jam
- Assistants: Christie du Preez, Cobus Wessels
Last meeting: 16 September 2011 in George (Currie Cup First Division): Griffons won 39-27
Regent Boland Kavaliers vs Valke
- Date: Saturday, 4 August
- Kickoff: 14:45
- Venue: Boland Park, Worcester
- Referee: Matt Kemp
- Assistants: Joey Salmans, Linston Manuels
- Television match official: Deon van Blommenstein
Last meeting: 10 September 2011 in Kempton Park (Currie Cup First Division): Kavaliers won 55-28
Leopards vs Border Bulldogs
- Date: Saturday, 4 August
- Kickoff: 19:10
- Venue: Profert Olen Park, Potchefstroom
- Referee: Lourens van der Merwe
- Assistants: Lesego Legoete, Sieg van Staden
Last meeting: 26 February 2011 in East London (Vodacom Cup): Leopards won 27-21
