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Griquas aim to keep momentum

Kimberley - Griquas and the Leopards are determined to build momentum in the Currie Cup qualifying rounds this weekend to keep ahead of the pack following strong starts to the competition last week.

Only one of the seven teams participating in the qualifying round would earn the right to play in the Currie Cup Premier Division this season, while the rest of the teams would battle it out in the First Division.

In Friday's matches, the Valke face the Leopards at the Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park and the SWD Eagles take on the Griffons at Outeniqua Park in George.

In Saturday's match, the Boland Cavaliers host Griquas at the Boland Stadium in Wellington. The Border Bulldogs, meanwhile, have a bye.

The Leopards were tipped as favourites to beat the Valke after scoring 51 points against the SWD Eagles in their opening match last week.

With former Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius leading the Leopards and the experienced centre Adriaan Engelbrecht and talented wing Luther Obi on their side, the Valke would have to hit the ground running to keep up with the visitors and possibly create an upset.

The Griffons were also go in search of an away victory against the SWD Eagles after securing a last-minute victory against Boland last week.

With the hosts having leaked seven tries in their opening match, the Griffons might opt for a strong attacking game in the hope of poking holes in the Eagles defence.

However, they would need to work hard for a victory as the SWD Eagles have had time to iron out their defensive problems, while they also had quality players such as wing Alshaun Bock, flyhalf Karlo Aspeling and No8 Davon Raubenheimer, who had a knack at creating opportunities on attack.

In Wellington, Griquas entered the clash against the Boland Cavaliers as favourites with form and confidence counting in their favour. The Kimberley side were widely tipped to retain their position in the premier division and, if they were able to replicate the performance that earned them a convincing 52-5 victory against Border last week, they would be difficult to stop.

The Cavaliers, however, would draw some confidence from their performance against the Griffons last week which saw them lead the clash until the last minute.

Former Boland lock Hilton Lobberts and wing Jacquin Jansen featured in the Griquas starting lineup and could be marked men by their former team-mates.

But with Griquas boasting a powerful pack and exciting backline, Boland would have to deliver a quality performance in all the facets of their game to contain the visitors.

Currie Cup Premier Division qualifiers - round two fixtures:

Friday:
Valke v Leopards, Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park - 15:00
SWD Eagles v Griffons, Outeniqua Park, George - 19:00

Saturday:
Boland v Griquas, Boland Stadium, Wellington - 16:00

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