The annual Eastern Cape Super 12 rugby competition is set to come to a thrilling conclusion this weekend when Mdantsane powerhouse Swallows welcome PE Harlequins to East London for the final at the BCM Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Hosts Swallows will be in line for their first Super 12 title, having not reached the knockout stages before, so they will be going all out.
“We are really looking forward to the final and I am sure we will deliver,” said Swallows rugby club President Zuko Matyeshana.
“It was one of our goals because we lost one of our players, Mlungisi Bali, in January and we said we want to win the competition for him, so we are on target for that.”
Swallows are the only unbeaten team left in the competition, having won all six games leading up to the final, including in the pool stages against Harlequins, and in the semis knocking out defending champions Gardens, so they will be looking to finish unbeaten.
Although they will not be playing in Mdantsane as they have for most of the competition, they will still feel at home in East London.
“We can definitely take our form into the final. We are also using the competition as a platform to strike from over the rest of the season in the Border Super League and hopefully the Gold Cup,” said Matyeshana.
“Our fans will come out in their numbers.
“We obviously prefer to play at NU1, but we still believe the guys will come out to cheer us on this weekend.”
Harlequins are no stranger to being in the final and, although they finished second in their pool, they confidently brushed aside Park in the semifinals, and they will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday’s encounter.
“I watched their semifinal against group B winners Park, and Harlequins ran over them, and I believe that although they lost to Swallows in the group stage they will be very strong opposition,” said tournament director Phumelele Hlati.
“This is also not a new experience for them. They have been to the final before and won it, so they will take that experience into the game on Saturday as well.”
Overall Eastern Cape Super 12 has delivered some exciting matchups over the past two months, and it should finish its 2018 edition on the highest possible note this weekend.
“I think that the competition has grown tremendously in the last 12 months and it has been a great improvement from last year,” said Hlati.
“The organisation has been top-class and the tournament has been out of this world and, although we feel that the best is still to come, this is the best we could have put on this year.”
Also being played on the day will be the final of the women’s competition, which should make for a great afternoon of rugby action.
Fort Hare University will be up against Kwaru RFC in what should be an exciting encounter to lift the trophy.
“I think this will be a perfect ending to this year’s competition.
“It is not every day that clubs have the chance to play in such a top-class tournament in a provincial stadium in front of a passionate crowd, so I believe it will leave a very good image of our rugby in the Eastern Cape,” said Hlati.
The action starts on Saturday at 1pm, with the Fort Hare v Kwaru game. The Swallows v Harlequins match will follow at 3pm.
Swallows wary of the Harlequins danger
Hosts Swallows will be in line for their first Super 12 title, having not reached the knockout stages before, so they will be going all out.
“We are really looking forward to the final and I am sure we will deliver,” said Swallows rugby club President Zuko Matyeshana.
“It was one of our goals because we lost one of our players, Mlungisi Bali, in January and we said we want to win the competition for him, so we are on target for that.”
Swallows are the only unbeaten team left in the competition, having won all six games leading up to the final, including in the pool stages against Harlequins, and in the semis knocking out defending champions Gardens, so they will be looking to finish unbeaten.
Although they will not be playing in Mdantsane as they have for most of the competition, they will still feel at home in East London.
“We can definitely take our form into the final. We are also using the competition as a platform to strike from over the rest of the season in the Border Super League and hopefully the Gold Cup,” said Matyeshana.
“Our fans will come out in their numbers.
“We obviously prefer to play at NU1, but we still believe the guys will come out to cheer us on this weekend.”
Harlequins are no stranger to being in the final and, although they finished second in their pool, they confidently brushed aside Park in the semifinals, and they will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday’s encounter.
“I watched their semifinal against group B winners Park, and Harlequins ran over them, and I believe that although they lost to Swallows in the group stage they will be very strong opposition,” said tournament director Phumelele Hlati.
“This is also not a new experience for them. They have been to the final before and won it, so they will take that experience into the game on Saturday as well.”
Overall Eastern Cape Super 12 has delivered some exciting matchups over the past two months, and it should finish its 2018 edition on the highest possible note this weekend.
“I think that the competition has grown tremendously in the last 12 months and it has been a great improvement from last year,” said Hlati.
“The organisation has been top-class and the tournament has been out of this world and, although we feel that the best is still to come, this is the best we could have put on this year.”
Also being played on the day will be the final of the women’s competition, which should make for a great afternoon of rugby action.
Fort Hare University will be up against Kwaru RFC in what should be an exciting encounter to lift the trophy.
“I think this will be a perfect ending to this year’s competition.
“It is not every day that clubs have the chance to play in such a top-class tournament in a provincial stadium in front of a passionate crowd, so I believe it will leave a very good image of our rugby in the Eastern Cape,” said Hlati.
The action starts on Saturday at 1pm, with the Fort Hare v Kwaru game. The Swallows v Harlequins match will follow at 3pm.
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