Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Cape Town - Ironically they were among the less impressive winners in the latest round of Absa Currie Cup matches, but champions the Sharks are suddenly in with a much better chance of securing a second home final on the trot.

Quietly on Friday night, John Plumtree’s charges ground their way to a bonus-point victory over Griquas in a soggy Durban … albeit only just in a decidedly hot-and-cold showing.

The Cheetahs, by beating Western Province at Newlands on Saturday, and Blue Bulls, Highveld derby winners against the log-leading Lions in Johannesburg just a bit earlier, earned rather more praiseworthy victories to keep their own challenges very much alive.

A glance at the table after the 11th round - and thus with three to go before the semis - still suggests the Lions are pretty close to home and dry for top spot, as they have a six-point cushion over the second-placed Sharks despite the latter closing the gap in the latest round.

But it is a little deceptive because of their respective run-in fixtures, which certainly favour the cup-holders.

The Lions have tricky dates against the buoyant Cheetahs away next Saturday, followed by the fading but presumably desperate Province at home, and then end their campaign intriguingly against the Sharks in their coastal fortress, which could thus yet determine which team ends at the head of the pack.

For their part, ahead of the big Lions showdown, the Sharks also face WP at home, and then really ought to get maximum points against basement team the Leopards on the road.

So there remains potential for great upheaval high up on the Currie Cup table, not least because the Cheetahs - who earned a cherry-on-top bonus point at Newlands thanks to behemoth front-ranker Coenie Oosthuizen barging over to finally settle the match in the 77th minute - are pushing strongly for a home semi-final themselves.

They are just two points behind the Sharks and if they manage to further curb the Lions’ charge next weekend, will know that only the limited Pumas and Griquas lie ahead on their roster.

It is further south that an old “Western Problems” curse appears to be ominously taking shape all over again.

Tiaan Liebenberg’s men have not earned a single point from their last two matches - respective losses to the Bulls and now Cheetahs - which not only hugely slashes their aspirations of a home semi, but also puts their very qualification for the last four in some jeopardy.

They have slipped to fourth with the resurgent Bulls now only four points adrift of them and having a dream run-in if they keep their wits about them: Pumas (home), Griquas (away) and Leopards (home).

The Bulls made more than double the number of tackles the Lions did in a real bruiser of an affair at Ellis Park, but their defensive heroism was not in doubt and it was a win of massive importance for them after such a poor early campaign.

For WP, last season’s finalists, to clinch a semis berth they will certainly need to win at least one of their daunting, consecutive trips to the Sharks and Lions, try to gain a bonus point in the other, and then slam the Pumas in their final round-robin date back in the shadow of Table Mountain.

As Liebenberg ruefully noted after the 34-20 reverse to the Cheetahs, his team seem to have a first-half phobia … they have fallen behind by a significant margin in three of their last four matches, even if they did manage to claw back for victory against Griquas in Kimberley.

At least they showed spirit once more in nearly engineering a remarkable turnaround in the second period on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough.

To add to their growing list of injury problems, No 8 Nick Koster went off on the buggy in a neck brace which may mean the possibility that their team continues to look much more “boy” than “man” in the key, remaining few weeks …

Next weekend’s programme:

Friday:
Blue Bulls v Pumas, Pretoria - 19:10

Saturday:
Cheetahs v Lions, Bloemfontein - 15:00
Leopards v Griquas, Potchefstroom - 15:00
Sharks v Western Province, Durban - 17:05