You’ve got to love how Maties enter the fight in Super League A the week after Western Province have won the SuperSport Challenge, don’t you?
And with WP having a bye in the first week of Currie Cup action, you can expect the likes of Craig Barry, who led the Streeptruie in the final against Griquas at Florida Park last weekend to help boost the Maroon Machine in their onslaught to win back the Super League A title.
Their return, after having played only five matches in the league to date while log leaders Hamiltons have played 11, is a mouthwatering one: against Tygerberg at Danie Craven Stadium.
Historically, this has been a heated clash and it won’t be much different this time around.
The Tiere will enter the game high on confidence after playing the curtain raiser for Barry and company against Belhar last Sunday – op TV nogal.
And after putting in a superb display in front of a national audience Daniel Roberts and his teammates will be keen to defy the odds and beat Maties in their own backyard.
Tygerberg, currently in fourth place on the log, can breathe new life into the competition if they beat Maties.
With five wins from as many matches, the Stellenbosch students are once again favourites to win the title.
Hammies and defending champions False Bay have both lost one game each and also registered a draw apiece, meaning an unbeaten Maties will catch them sooner rather than later. Unless, of course, the Tiere even the odds.
It will be a fiercely contested weekend in SLA.
While the Tiere will be looking to dent the title hopes of Maties, the students’ second-stringers, Victorians, will be out to do the same against False Bay when they travel to the Phillip Herbstein Stadium on Saturday.
In another top clash, Hamiltons will host Durbell at the Stephen Oval.
Harlon Klaasen and company klapped their neighbours SK Walmers 74-19 last weekend, with the Province centre dotting down no less than four times.
But in Durbell they will face a different beast this weekend.
After a slow start to their campaign, coach Bobby Joubert’s manskappe pulled themselves together and is currently in third place on the log after seven wins from 10 matches. They do have the potential to harm Hamiltons’ push for the title this year.
Elsewhere, relegation candidates Primrose will look to overtake Parow NTK on the log when they host Brackenfell at Rosmead Avenue.
Having suffered a 48-19 defeat to Durbell last weekend, confidence won’t be high in the Primrose camp heading into the encounter.
But a win against the Brakke will get their season back on track and will give them a big chance of holding on to their top-flight status… at least for one more season.
The final Super League A match of the weekend sees struggling bottom-dwellers Pniel Villagers hosting UniMil.
Not involved in the relegation scrap, Isma-eel Dollie's UniMil can strengthen their mid-table position with a win against a team that hasn’t won a single outing in the league this year.