The Pumas are leading the ABSA Currie Cup 1st Division and is set to finish top of the log, with 13 points separating them and second placed SWD Eagles. In a bit of a one horse race it’s more a fight for the next 4 teams to qualify for home advantage when it comes to play offs.
With SARU still deciding over the expansion of the Premier Division with two extra teams, it is the Pumas that will have a promotion/relegation match against the bottom finisher of the Premier Division.
The Border and Boland game was probably the biggest upset of the weekend, when Border beat Boland 21- 19 in East London on Friday night. The Leopards gave the Kings a good run for their money and was leading at one stage 26 – 25, but the Kings came back scoring 3 tries in the final quarter to finish the game with a comfortable 44 – 26 bonus point win.
The Eagles moved to second on the log after beating the Valke at home 58 – 42 and the Pumas stretched their lead with a 42 – 24 win over the Griffons in Welkom. The Pumas are set for a home semi and possible final on 47 points, SWD moved to 34 points and currently second with Kings 3rd on 33 after their bonus point win against Leopards. With the Leopards losing to Kings they moved down to 4th on 32 points and Boland 5th on 28 points. Griffons on 16, Border on 15 and Valke on 12 will be fighting it out to avoid the wooden spoon.
This weekend will be a crucial one for the Kings when they face the SWD Eagles at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The winner will secure the second spot on the log and move closer to that all important home play off spot. The Pumas will look to securing their 11th consecutive victory when they face the Leopards in Nelspruit. Griffons and Border will face each other in Welkom with Boland traveling to Kempton Park to play bottom of the log Valke.
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GO PUMAS……
So the Kings failing yet again….
@Uli (Comment 2) :
Second place is failing? Interesting..
I would love it if the Pumas can win the competition and then beat the Bulls in a promotion/relegation games. 😈
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) :”The Pumas are leading the ABSA Currie Cup 1st Division and is set to finish top of the log, with 13 points separating them and second placed SWD Eagles. “
@Uli (Comment 5) :
That’s far from failing bud..
Considering the start of their season..
@Uli (Comment 5) :
Your Bulls team is 8 points off the Sharks in the Currie Cup, is that failing?
Think CC Premier Division should be expanded to seven teams, Pumas are in a class of their own and hammering whatever opposition is thrown at them.
How Stonehouse is able to keep the Pumas at the top of their game, regardless of being deleted out of Premier CC, is quite impressive.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : Surely a team that tasted SR should be able to blow 1st Div. competition out of the water?
Yet it is the Pumas delivering the goods. Personally I think Stonehouse has a lot to offer as a coach.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 9) :
The Pumas had a three match head start on the Kings, and the Kings have not battled since their Super Rugby stars have started playing.
Also, you can hardly compare the Kings now to the team that played in Super Rugby anyway..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 6) :@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : You need counseling bro.
@Uli (Comment 11) :
Look man..
You come on, make a shitty comment and run away.
Why not take me on with facts and opinions instead of insulting me?
Didn’t the Pumas beat the full strength Kings a couple of weeks ago… I think it was 25-26 or something…. Pumas deserve to win.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : No doubt Kings is a different outfit, but Pumas have absolutely nothing going for them.
Though my point is more focused on how well the Pumas (under Stonehouse) are performing rather than how poor (or not) the Kings have done.
@Lassy_lion (Comment 13) :
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) :
I’m not taking anything away from the Pumas, not once did I say that.
My gripe is with an idiot who has nothing better to do than attack a Kings side that is proving him wrong by actually winning games..
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) :
And yes, I have a lot of respect for Stonehouse.
He is really taking a group of players and making them a unit of note. He will do well for himself in the future!
@Lassy_lion (Comment 13) : Yes in Nelspruit, 33 – 32
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) : I understand what you are saying… Now that the Lions are back in S15 I will actually admit the Kings is not a bad team and over the years can develope into something nice…. You only have 3 minutes to read this then I am deleting… Nobody can see me write this 🙂
@Lassy_lion (Comment 18) :
Glad to see some sense making an appearance, if only for three minutes!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 19) : Screenprint
@robdylan (Comment 20) : NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….. LOL Well I am the first to say I was wrong about the Kings….
@Lassy_lion (Comment 21) :
Well done!
Finally we can take you seriously around here..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 22) : HAHAHAHAHA….. It must be my second star I got last week…. LOLOL
@Uli (Comment 5) : season is not finished Uli, Kings had a slow start thats all
@FireTheLooser (Comment 8) : Kings managed to do the same last season, unbeaten, and the year before that, Pumas been playing well and deserve to compete at a higher level, but so does the Kings
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : true Rich, don’t forget they’ve also lost a few players
@Uli (Comment 11) : 😆
@Lassy_lion (Comment 13) : wasn’t a full strength Kings side but it was a stronger Kings side, Pumas scored the winning try in the last minute, they deserve to be on top they’ve had a good season so far
@Lassy_lion (Comment 18) : they won’t develop over the years, they still have momentum from SR and something needs to be done now, before they lose more players and their academy falls flat, by playing SR we saw that Kings can compete at a higher level
@pierre_mackie (Comment 29) : I do agree with you…..BUT….. If you give the Kwasse or the Pumas the same amount of money they will surely also be a strong team and will also be able to compete on a higher level…. The only differance is PE has more fan and they are so hungry for “BIG” rugby.
@Lassy_lion (Comment 30) : Griquas and Pumas sub unions, SARU wants to improve EP Rugby, nothing wrong with EP and Pumas playing CC, Griquas already playing “big” rugby.
Kings and Pumas the two main contenders for 1st Div the last 3 seasons
@pierre_mackie (Comment 31) : But if you think about it, we`ve lost to both the Kwasse and the Pumas in the past but not against the kings . . .
@Original Pierre (Comment 32) : Sharks have played the Kings last year in a warm up, but before that when last?
@pierre_mackie (Comment 33) : Didn`t we face them twice this super 15, or did they just email the log points to us?
@Original Pierre (Comment 34) : I didn’t enjoy the first email they sent us. The second one was much better!
@Original Pierre (Comment 34) : I just meant pre SR 😉
@robdylan (Comment 35) : As I recall the first one got blocked by some sort of Jafta filter . . . 🙄
@Original Pierre (Comment 37) : 😆