The Toyota Cheetahs and Isuzu Southern Kings will face a tough test in the Guinness PRO14 this weekend as they line up against defending champions, Leinster, and the Cardiff Blues in Ireland and Wales respectively in their penultimate tour matches.
The Isuzu Southern Kings take on the Cardiff Blues at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday, and with the hosts facing immense pressure from Connacht, Ospreys and the Toyota Cheetahs for a playoff spot in Conference A, they will target a bonus-point victory in front of their home crowd.
It will be a big challenge for the Isuzu Southern Kings, as the Cardiff Blues have been more effective on attack and defence this season. The men from Port Elizabeth, however, will draw inspiration from the fact that the hosts have only scored two more tries than them this season.
That said, they will have to maintain their composure on defence as the Cardiff Blues have conceded half the number of tries in the last 16 matches. The Welshmen have been in solid form at home this season, where they suffered only one defeat by four points, which is a track-record they will be determined to keep intact.
That said, Deon Davids’ charges have challenged a number of teams at home and on tour thanks to their skillful attack and impressive finishing, and with speedsters Yaw Penxe and Bjorn Basson (who are among the top try scorers) and Masixole Banda (who is the fourth highest points scorer in the competition) in their ranks, the Cardiff Blues will not expect a walk in the park.
The Cardiff Blues won the previous and only encounter between the sides in Port Elizabeth 45-12 in April 2018.
Match Information: Saturday, 2 March at 21h35 at Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff. Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU), Assistant referees: Dan Jones (WRU) Mark Patton (IRFU), TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU). TV: SS1
The Toyota Cheetahs will square off against defending champs, Leinster:
Leinster have been in sublime form this season with 14 victories in 16 pool matches, and 11 bonus points for tries, and they will look to continue this form against the Toyota Cheetahs, who need to return to their winning ways to remain within striking range of their rivals for a Guinness Pro14 playoff spot. The sides meet in Dublin on Friday.
The Toyota Cheetahs will have to be sharp on attack and defence from the outset, as Leinster are the only team to have scored more than 500 points this season, while they conceded 207 points – only seven more than Munster, who boast the best defensive record in the competition.
With five pool games remaining – including this match – for the Toyota Cheetahs to force their way into the top three in Conference A for a playoff spot, and the team already trailing their pool contenders, the Cardiff Blues and Munster, by six points, they will enter the clash under pressure to register a victory to avoid slipping too far behind as the pool stages draw to a close.
With the Toyota Cheetahs’ Rabz Maxwane and Shaun Venter being among the top try scorers in the competition, and Tian Schoeman fifth on the list of top points scorers, however, Leinster will be wary of the threat the visitors pose.
The teams have crossed paths only once before in the competition in 2017, with the Toyota Cheetahs winning that encounter 38-19 in Bloemfontein.
Match Information: Friday, 1 March at 21h35 at RDS Arena, Dublin. Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU), Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (IRFU) and Wayne Davies (WRU), TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU). TV: SS1
Other Round 17 matches (SA kick-off times):
Saturday, 2 March:
- 16h45: Connacht v Ospreys – The Sportsground, Galway
- 17h00: Benetton v Edinburgh – Stadio Monigo, Treviso
- 19h00: Scarlets v Munster – Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
- 19h15: Zebre v Glasgow Warriors – Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
Sunday, 3 March:
- 17h00: Dragons v Ulster – Rodney Parade, Newport
Alan Straton
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