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Cape Town - As the final round of group stage fixtures approaches for Currie Cup 2019, the race for semi-final places is going down to the wire.
Griquas are the only side guaranteed of a last four place, while the Pumas are the only side guaranteed not to make it.
All of the other five sides - Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions, Sharks, Western Province and the Blue Bulls - are still in with a shout.
As things stand, this is what the top six of the Currie Cup log looks like (all teams have played 5 matches):
1. Griquas - 19 points
2. Free State - 17 points
3. Lions - 17 points
4. Sharks - 14 points
5. WP - 13 points
6. Bulls - 9 points
And, these are Saturday's fixtures:
Griquas v Lions - 15:00
Free State v WP - 17:15
Blue Bulls v Sharks - 19:30
If Griquas win the first match of the day, they will secure home ground advantage for the semi-finals and final. If they lose, they could potentially be knocked down to 4th place if other results go against them. Either way, they are in the semi-finals.
The Lions, meanwhile, need a victory to secure their path to the semi-finals. A win would also guarantee them a home semi-final, and potentially top spot on the log if the Cheetahs lose to Western Province in the next game of the day. Defeat could spell disaster, though, and would mean the end of the road for the Lions if Western Province and the Sharks both win their matches.
Free State are in almost exactly the same position as the Lions, with a win securing them a home semi-final too. Defeat, on the other hand, could also be tournament-ending if the Sharks and Lions both move ahead of them on the log.
The equation for WP is simple: win or be eliminated. If WP win with a bonus point and Free State get nothing from the match, then WP will move ahead of Free State on the log and secure qualification. Just victory might not be enough, though, if the Sharks beat the Bulls in the later game and if the Lions get something from their match. WP's can also win without a bonus point and then hope for the Blue Bulls to do them a favour against the Sharks.
By the time the Blue Bulls host the Sharks at Loftus, they will know exactly where they stand. If WP win their match, then the Bulls are out. If WP lose, however, then the Bulls are back in and they will need to beat the Sharks by 12 points and with a bonus point with the Sharks getting nothing from the match.
The Sharks, meanwhile, will find themselves in 5th position by the time they take to the field if WP beat Free State. They will then have it all to play for against a Bulls side that has already been eliminated. If Free State and the Lions both lose, however, the Sharks can also book a home semi-final with a victory. It is wide open for the Durbanites.
??Expect a cracker of a final week of Currie Cup fixtures, with 5 teams still able to make the semi's. How do you see it playing out? #CurrieCupRELOADED ?? pic.twitter.com/VWmW2ofBEx
— The Currie Cup (@TheCurrieCup) August 22, 2019
