Another thrilling chapter in the long-running duel between arch-rivals Gardens and Kruisfontein United for club rugby supremacy in the Eastern Cape will be written when they collide in the Pick n Pay Gold Cup in Kariega on Saturday.
High-stakes matchups between the sides have become commonplace in recent years and Gardens and Kruisfontein were on opposing sides in the 2023 and 2024 EPRU Grand Challenge finals.
A highly charged clash is expected at the Central Field when these bitter rivals pursue their dream of being crowned SA's top club rugby team (kickoff 3pm).
Gardens booked a berth in the last 16 when they beat Groot Brakrivier 33-23, and Kruisfontein were declared winners on a more tries scored rule after their match against Heidelberg ended 33-33 after extra-time last week.
Beaten by EL Police in the 2023 and the 2024 EC Super 14 finals, and by Gardens in the 2023 Grand Challenge final, Kruisfontein finally buried their cup final hoodoo in 2024.
The Humansdorp team's misery finally ended when they pipped Gardens 24-18 in the 2024 Grand Challenge final in front of 7,000 fans at the Adcock Stadium.
The sides have met twice in the Grand Challenge in 2025 and both matches went down to the wire.
In a first-round clash in May, Gardens edged Kruisfontein 28-21 in Humansdorp and the Kariega side made it a double when they emerged 27-21 winners in the return fixture.
There was action-packed rugby across SA when the tournament kicked off last Saturday.
In the northern section, there were big home wins in the Round of 32 for defending champions Naka Bulls, 2024 runners-up Northam Rhinos, Pretoria Harlequins and Northam Wolves.
In the south half of the draw, it was Villager, Robertson and College Rovers who got out of the blocks with equally imposing wins in front of their own fans.
A penalty after the hooter gave Falcons champions Vereeniging a nail-biting 39-37 victory over Pirates of Johannesburg.
In Welkom, Louis Trichardt’s No 8 Denzel Dhlamini dived over in stoppage time for his side’s levelling score, which scrumhalf Louis Fourie calmly converted for a 20-18 win, while visitors Centurion hung on by the same scoreline in the Lowveld against a spirited White River.
All in all, there were no fewer than six away wins on the day that were decided by 10 points or less, with Hamilton’s 39-30 victory over East London Police and Villagers Worcester’s 39-32 win over Sishen in the remote Northern Cape mining town of Kathu, no less impressive than the exploits of their numerous title rivals.
With the field now halved and with six current or former champions still in the hunt, Saturday's Round of 16 promises even more drama, with the knockout draw producing several mouthwatering derbies to look forward to.
In the South section, Villager — having dismantled Swallows 99-10 in Claremont on Saturday — will host Hamilton in what is the country’s oldest club derby, with a combined 299 years of history between the sides.
Villager, who recently won the Western Province Grand Challenge Cup for the first time in 25 years, will be looking for their first national title since former Springbok captain and 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning team manager, Morné du Plessis, lifted the trophy in 1980.
“This past weekend once again saw how South African rugby teams at all levels respond when the stakes are at their highest,” SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer said.
“The knockout mentality is something we as a rugby nation can be very proud of.
“I have no doubt that, as the stakes get progressively higher this coming weekend, our top clubs will bring more of that unique spirit to a national stage in the Gold Cup.”
In the North section, Naka Bulls can move one step closer to a historic hat-trick of titles when they host Louis Trichardt in Pretoria on Saturday, with Pretoria also set to welcome Vereeniging, who play Harlequins.
Saturday's round of 16 fixtures:
South section: College Rovers v Northwood Crusaders (Kings Park 3, Durban), Villager v Hamilton (Brookside, Cape Town), Gardens v Kruisfontein (Central Field, Kariega), Robertson v Villagers Worcester (Van Zyl Street Sports Grounds, Robertson)
North section: Naka Bulls v Louis Trichardt (Naka Bulls Rugby Club, Pretoria), Northam Rhinos v Centurion (Setaria Recreation Club, Setaria), Pretoria Harlequins v Vereeniging (Harlequins Rugby Club, Pretoria), Northam Wolves v Raiders (Millstream River Estate, Hartbeespoort).
The Herald
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