Elephants hunting for first win of season against Leopards

EP’s misfiring Elephants will go in search of their first win of the season when they travel to Potchefstroom to face the Leopards in a crunch SA Cup clash on Saturday.

After losing to the Falcons, Pumas, SWD Eagles and Cheetahs in their opening matches, the stakes are high for EP in what promises to be a fierce fight for precious log points at Olen Park (kickoff 3pm).

EP are lying second from bottom on the 10-team log with two points to their name, while the Leopards are four points ahead of the Elephants in eighth position.

After a break in action because of the Easter weekend, both teams will be raring to go as the season reaches the halfway mark.

“EP will reset during the break, and in the second part of the season we will have to be much better in the next few games,” EP coach Allister Coetzee said.

In their last outing the Leopards recorded their first win of the campaign with a bonus point 31–14 victory over the Border Bulldogs in Potchefstroom.

The hosts laid the platform with a clinical second-half display at Olen Park, while powerful winger Sino Tshontyi scored a hat-trick of tries.

While there will be much focus on the EP vs Leopards encounter, the action is also hotting up at the top of the table as teams vie for a top four finish that will earn them promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division.

After four rounds the top four positions are occupied by Griquas (20), SWD Eagles (17), Pumas (17) and Boland Cavaliers (15).

The pressure is mounting on the Cheetahs, who are in fifth position with 13 points and out of the playoff berths with five matches to play.

Cheetahs skipper Chucky van der Westhuizen said the break could not have come at a better time.

“We can definitely see that some of the guys need a rest,” he said.

“A few of them have played full 80-minute matches in a row — someone like Tielman Nieuwoudt has had two really tough games at prop, which isn’t easy. So the break came at the right time.

“It’s also good for the boys to spend some time with their families, especially with a tough run of away games coming up. Hopefully we make the most of this period and come back refreshed.”

In their last outing Griquas strengthened their charge toward a home semifinal and a prized berth in the Premier Division with a commanding 71–7 victory over the Griffons in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon.

In George, SWD produced their best result of the campaign so far, clinching a deserving 33-24 win to hand the Boland Cavaliers their first defeat of the season.

Griquas, the 2024 competition winners, were in complete control from the outset of their clash against the Griffons, running in 11 tries to one in a fourth consecutive win.

After their trip to Potchefstroom, EP will host high-flying Griquas at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on April 18 in a key sixth-round showdown.

Saturday’s fixtures: