(Photo: Toyota Cheetahs/Twitter)
The Pumas, the current Currie Cup champions, will be watching the progress of the South African teams playing in Europe with eagle eyes.
After the first four rounds of this year’s Currie Cup series, the Pumas are the only unbeaten team in the series with 19 league points and are four points ahead of the Free State Cheetahs (15).
The Pumas are playing with newfound confidence this season and on Friday evening they thrashed the Free State Cheetahs 61-21 in Bloemfontein.
The Cheetahs were badly weakened because their best players were in action against Toulon in France on Saturday in the European Challenge Cup series. After the Cheetahs lost, their top players will be available again in the Currie Cup series.
???? Currie Cup#CHEvPUM #CurrieCup @ToyotaSA @TheCurrieCup pic.twitter.com/T0pOa3hK30
— Toyota Cheetahs (@CheetahsRugby) April 1, 2023
There were also victories for the Lions, who beat the Sharks at Ellis Park 34-22.
The Lions are third in the Currie Cup standings, but like the Sharks will still have to do without their top players for a while who compete in the United Rugby Championship and European Cup Series.
Ready to go! ????#LiovSHA#LionsPride???? pic.twitter.com/pJpRSIUfTx
— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) April 1, 2023
The Western Province is fourth together with the Sharks and Griquas with ten points.
Griekwas beat the WP on Saturday in the Cape Town Stadium with 32-13.
The Griffons, who have been entrenched in the series for at least two seasons after winning the First League last year and gaining promotion, shocked the Blue Bulls in Welkom 32-28.
The Bulls are unbeaten and last in the standings. In addition, they are still playing in the PRC series where they will have to give it their all to finish in the top eight.
Currie Cup standings (under team, games played, won, lost, drawn, bonus points and league points)
Pumas 4 4 0 0 3 19
Free State 4 3 1 0 3 15
Lions 4 2 2 0 5 13
Sharks 4 2 2 0 2 10
WP 4 2 2 0 2 10
Greenwash 4 2 2 0 2 10
Griffons 4 1 3 0 1 5
Bulls 4 0 0 0 3 3
