A nail-biting finish to the south section SA Rugby Under-21 Shield rugby competition is on the cards when the league phase of the competition reaches a climax on Saturday.
Nothing less than a win over the SWD Eagles will be good enough for the EP Elephants who will be fighting for survival at the Madibaz Stadium (kickoff 12 midday).
In the weekend’s other key matchup, the Border Bulldogs face the table-topping Boland Cavaliers in East London.
Going into the final round of league fixtures Border have a three-point lead over EP after five rounds.
Nine provincial teams have been divided into two sections, with the south comprising Boland, Border, EP and SWD.
The north group features the Pumas, Harmony Griffons, Griquas, Falcons and Limpopo.
Teams in the south section play three home and three away matches and in the north a single round of four matches are played.
At the conclusion of the league phase, the two teams with the highest number of log points contest the semifinals within their sections, and the two winners progress to the grand north versus south final.
Last week, EP kept their hopes of glory alive when they staged a second half fightback to edge the Border Bulldogs 38-36.
It was a must-win match for both teams and a titanic battle unfolded at Police Park in the penultimate round of the league phase of the competition.
EP had been fighting for redemption after three consecutive defeats, and they rose to the occasion with a gritty display to end their losing streak.
EP appear to have the easier finish with a home game against the SWD Eagles, who are bottom of the log.
“All our efforts are concentrated on playing SWD at home this weekend,” EP coach Shaun “Trok” Oliver said.
“EP are still in the competition and we must focus on ourselves and make sure we get five points at home.
“The boys started very well at Police Park last week and they were determined to come home to Gqeberha with a victory,” Oliver said.
EP’s try scorers against Border were Nathan Smith, Dewald Greber, Sean van Zijl, Adriano Martin and Simphiwe Dlamini.
Fullback Lyle Meintjies booted five conversions and a penalty to boost EP’s points tally.
After launching their campaign with a 32-13 win over the SWD Eagles in George, EP were given a reality check when they slumped to a heavy 63-36 defeat against the Boland Cavaliers in round two.
That was followed by a narrow 35-31 defeat against the Border Bulldogs at the Madibaz Stadium in Gqeberha.
The Herald
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