Border Bulldogs have a golden opportunity to snap a six-match losing streak when they face fellow strugglers EP Elephants in an SA Cup match at the Wolfson Stadium on Saturday.
Though beating a demoralised EP could hardly be described as a feather in the Bulldogs’ cap, it would at least allow them a rare opportunity to experience the sweet taste of success.
This battle of the SA Cup’s basement dwellers is a sad reflection of how far both regions have fallen behind their rivals at provincial level.
Border’s horrifying statistics in the SA Cup bear testimony to team who are totally out of their depth.
In six games they have leaked an eye-watering 430 points and twice they have lost matches by more than 100 points.
Though EP have hardly set the world alight, they have fared better than Border, conceding 264 points in six matches at an average of 44 per game.
Last week the Bulldogs went down 106-7 to the Boland Cavaliers, after an earlier 119-5 thumping at the hands of Griquas three weeks ago.
Border coach David Dobela knows things cannot possibly get worse for his team as they prepare for a provincial derby which has been hotly contested in recent seasons.
On this occasion, however, EP will be favoured to record only their second win of the season.
In a preseason friendly in East London, EP ran out convincing 41-10 winners over the Bulldogs, which suggests the home team should have too much firepower for the visitors in Kwazakhele.
EP’s problems in the SA Cup rugby tournament continued when they were thrashed 50-0 by Griquas at the Central Field in Kariega last week.
The writing was on the wall for the Elephants at halftime after Griquas powered their way to a commanding 38-0 lead.
The second half was an error-plagued affair and Griquas could not find the continuity they enjoyed in the first 40 minutes.
Thanks to their win, Griquas remained at the top of the log with a maximum haul of 30 points from six outings.
After narrowly beating the Falcons in their opening game at the Wolfson Stadium, the Elephants have slumped to defeats against the Cheetahs, Pumas, SWD Eagles, Leopards and Griquas.
It was a weekend of high scores in the SA Cup, with the high-flying Pumas, Cheetahs and Boland Cavaliers all registering big wins.
In Mbombela, the Pumas hammered the luckless Leopards 71-10 and the Cheetahs romped to a 46-14 win over the SWD Eagles in Bloemfontein.
The big game of the weekend will see Griquas face the Pumas in Kimberley on Friday.
The SA Cup features 46 games and fills a gap between the preseason and the start of the Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions.
In the league format, 10 provincial sides will face each other over nine consecutive weeks.
At the conclusion of the league phase, the two top-ranked sides will compete in the SA Cup final on May 24 or 25.
Weekend fixtures:
Friday: 2.30pm: Griquas v Pumas. Saturday: 3pm: SWD Eagles v Griffons, 3pm:Leopards v Boland Cavaliers, 3pm: EP Elephants v Border Bulldogs.
Log (all teams have played six matches):
Griquas 30, Pumas 30, Griffons 25, Cheetahs 22, Boland Cavaliers 17, SWD Eagles 11, Leopards 10, Falcons 8, EP Elephants 8, Border Bulldogs 0.
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Bulldogs target fellow basement dwellers EP
Image: ALAN EASON
Border Bulldogs have a golden opportunity to snap a six-match losing streak when they face fellow strugglers EP Elephants in an SA Cup match at the Wolfson Stadium on Saturday.
Though beating a demoralised EP could hardly be described as a feather in the Bulldogs’ cap, it would at least allow them a rare opportunity to experience the sweet taste of success.
This battle of the SA Cup’s basement dwellers is a sad reflection of how far both regions have fallen behind their rivals at provincial level.
Border’s horrifying statistics in the SA Cup bear testimony to team who are totally out of their depth.
In six games they have leaked an eye-watering 430 points and twice they have lost matches by more than 100 points.
Though EP have hardly set the world alight, they have fared better than Border, conceding 264 points in six matches at an average of 44 per game.
Last week the Bulldogs went down 106-7 to the Boland Cavaliers, after an earlier 119-5 thumping at the hands of Griquas three weeks ago.
Border coach David Dobela knows things cannot possibly get worse for his team as they prepare for a provincial derby which has been hotly contested in recent seasons.
On this occasion, however, EP will be favoured to record only their second win of the season.
In a preseason friendly in East London, EP ran out convincing 41-10 winners over the Bulldogs, which suggests the home team should have too much firepower for the visitors in Kwazakhele.
EP’s problems in the SA Cup rugby tournament continued when they were thrashed 50-0 by Griquas at the Central Field in Kariega last week.
The writing was on the wall for the Elephants at halftime after Griquas powered their way to a commanding 38-0 lead.
The second half was an error-plagued affair and Griquas could not find the continuity they enjoyed in the first 40 minutes.
Thanks to their win, Griquas remained at the top of the log with a maximum haul of 30 points from six outings.
After narrowly beating the Falcons in their opening game at the Wolfson Stadium, the Elephants have slumped to defeats against the Cheetahs, Pumas, SWD Eagles, Leopards and Griquas.
It was a weekend of high scores in the SA Cup, with the high-flying Pumas, Cheetahs and Boland Cavaliers all registering big wins.
In Mbombela, the Pumas hammered the luckless Leopards 71-10 and the Cheetahs romped to a 46-14 win over the SWD Eagles in Bloemfontein.
The big game of the weekend will see Griquas face the Pumas in Kimberley on Friday.
The SA Cup features 46 games and fills a gap between the preseason and the start of the Currie Cup Premier and First Division competitions.
In the league format, 10 provincial sides will face each other over nine consecutive weeks.
At the conclusion of the league phase, the two top-ranked sides will compete in the SA Cup final on May 24 or 25.
Weekend fixtures:
Friday: 2.30pm: Griquas v Pumas. Saturday: 3pm: SWD Eagles v Griffons, 3pm:Leopards v Boland Cavaliers, 3pm: EP Elephants v Border Bulldogs.
Log (all teams have played six matches):
Griquas 30, Pumas 30, Griffons 25, Cheetahs 22, Boland Cavaliers 17, SWD Eagles 11, Leopards 10, Falcons 8, EP Elephants 8, Border Bulldogs 0.
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