What a sad week it was in the Cape club rugby community with the loss of UWC head coach Chester Williams.
An icon in the South African rugby fraternity, Williams died last weekend of a suspected heart attack.
Because of this untimely and shock loss, the Bellville students forfeited their final match of the season against SK Walmers last Saturday, leaving them in sixth place on the overall log.
That log position qualified them for the knockout phase of the competition and they will now play Durbell in the playoffs.
That match, however, will only take place next Monday, because of Williams’s funeral taking place this Saturday.
PASSED ON: Coach Williams. Photo: Jeffrey Abrahams/UWC.
There will be one other top-six clash on Saturday, though, with False Bay hosting UniMil at 3.30pm.
The winner of that clash will earn a semifinal date with holders Maties, who grabbed top spot in the league on the final day of round-robin action last weekend.
Maties had to work hard for their 42-33 win over Durbell, who ended in third place, to finish the season unbeaten.
The winner of the UWC and Durbell clash, meanwhile, will face Ikeys in the other semis.
UNDEFEATED: Holders Maties too much for Durbell. Photo: Jack Lestrade.
While Maties and UCT will be favourites to advance to the final, they will know that they have a hungry chasing pack.
The dark horse for the title at this stage is surely UWC, who will have added motivation to finish the season with a trophy.
CHASING SILVERWARE: Unimil battled into playoffs. Photo: Supplied.
At the foot of the log, only one team has been relegated to Super League B automatically - Primrose.
Parow NTK, who finished third from bottom after Victorians pulled out of the competition at the start of the campaign, will once again be involved in the promotion/ relegation playoffs.
So with only one Super League A match to be played this weekend, the season is coming to a thrilling end with only six teams left to fight for the title.