The Free State XV will be looking to claim their first victory of the season when they take on the Pumas on Friday the 21st of September.
The Pumas head to Bloemfontein this Friday in a desperate attempt to maintain their hopes of landing a semi-final berth. The visitors currently trail the fourth-placed Sharks by eight points and need a bonus point win here to give themselves a realistic hope of making the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, the Cheetahs come into this one looking to move off the foot of the table. Should they claim a bonus point win here and ensure the Pumas don’t claim a bonus point of their own, then the men from Bloemfontein would move level on points with their visitors.
Free State XV v Pumas
Friday 21 September
Toyota Stadium
17:00
To Win (80 Mins)
Free State XV 7/4
Draw 25/1
Pumas 9/20
Free State XV
The Cheetahs suffered yet another defeat last weekend as they went down 52-24 to the Griquas at Griqua Park. The result saw them extend their losing streak to five games, and they will need to put in a much-improved showing if they are to arrest what is an alarming dip in form.
This young Cheetahs XV have shown they can play some good rugby but they have lacked consistency, playing in fits and starts and not really applying themselves for the entire 80-minutes of any of their fixtures.
Pumas
It’s crunch time for the men from Nelspruit who really need to grab a bonus point win here if they are to have any chance of making the semi-finals. They currently sit sixth on the table and trail the fourth-placed Sharks by eight points.
The Pumas head into Friday night’s clash off the back of a 39-29 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus. They actually gave a decent account of themselves last week and were unlucky to come away from Pretoria with only one bonus point.
Verdict: Pumas 9/20
This should be a great spectacle with both teams sure to attack at any given opportunity. My money is on the visitors taking this one by eight points or more.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
