Harlequins maintained their proud unbeaten home record at the Adcock Stadium when they beat the NMU Madibaz 32-29 in a thrilling EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 club rugby competition clash on Saturday.
The victory catapulted Harlequins to top position on the log after their closest rivals, Kruisfontein United, stumbled to a 27-20 defeat against Joubertina United.
Saturday’s clash, at a venue that has become a fortress for Harlequins, was a tight affair between two of the competition’s best teams.
When the sides met in a first-round clash at the Madibaz Stadium in April, Quins emerged 20-10 winners after a hard-fought battle.
The win has left Harlequins well placed to clinch a home quarterfinal at the Adcock Stadium on September 5.
The Madibaz, who started the day in seventh spot on the log, still have work to do in their final two outings if they are to qualify for the playoffs.
Harlequins face Progress (home) and Jeffreys Bay (away) in their final two outings while the students will end the league phase of the competition with games against Jeffreys Bay (away) and Trying Stars (home).
The try scorers for Harlequins were Mzwanele Besman, Dayle Nel, Liqhawe Mokuena, and there was also a penalty try for the home side worth seven additional points.
Progress kept their hopes of securing a berth in the playoffs alive when they scored a vital win 25-22 over Trying Stars at the Central Field in Kariega.
Next up for Progress is a tough clash against high-flying Harlequins at the Adcock Stadium on Saturday.
Champions Gardens were made to fight hard before they were able to emerge with a narrow 32-25 win over Brumbies in Makhanda.
The Derrick Ferreira Stadium in Kariega will be the focal point for many club rugby fans on Saturday when Gardens host a wounded Kruisfontein outfit gunning to reclaim their position at the top of the log.
After slipping to a 29-20 defeat against Kruisfontein in Humansdorp last week, Park returned to winning ways when they beat Star of Hope 33-14 at Londt Park.
In a new format, teams ending in odd-numbered positions on the log at the halfway stage were sorted into one group and sides finishing in even-numbered positions were placed in another group.
In the Top 12 Division (odd numbers), Star of Hope, Joubertina, Brumbies, Kruisfontein United, Gardens and Park will play one another, and in the second group (even numbers), Jeffreys Bay, Progress, NMU Madibaz, Hankey Villagers, Trying Stars and Harlequins will face off.
Officials will compile joint logs for the two groups, and after five matches within each group, the best performing clubs will qualify for the quarterfinals, which are set to take place on September 5.
After initial confusion over how the new system would work, EPRU officials have been sending out a weekly newsletter to clubs briefing them on which teams would face one another in the quarterfinals with regard to the latest log.
On the joint table, drawn up to include both groups, the eventual quarterfinal lineup will be: No 1 v No 8, No 2 v No 7, No 3 v No 6 and No 4 v No 5.
Saturday’s fixtures:
Top 12 (odd numbers): Gardens v Kruisfontein United, Star of Hope v Brumbies, Park v Joubertina United. Top 12 (even numbers): Harlequins v Progress, Trying Stars v Hankey Villagers, Jeffreys Bay v NMU Madibaz.
Middle 12 (odd numbers): Born Fighters v Kwaru, African Bombers v Despatch Oostelikes, Spring Rose v Kirkwood. Middle 12 (even numbers): Central v Motherwell, Missionvale v Suburban, United Barbarians v Evergreens.
Bottom 12 (odd numbers): Adelaide Rangeres v Helenvale, Police-Crusaders v Klipfontein, Kareedouw Tigers v Middelburg Eagles. Bottom 12 (even numbers): Middelburg Excelsior v Lily White, Windvogel v Orlando Eagles, Despatch v St Marks.
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