PUMA VUMA?

WESTERN Province will be playing for pride when they aim to klap the Pumas in Saturday's 7.20pm Currie Cup Premier Division game at Cape Town Stadium.

Sitting in laaste plek on the Currie Cup standings, the Kaapse span are hunting a first win after five straight defeats.

But a win against the fifth-placed Pumas, and some neighbourly love from second on the log Boland Kavaliers in their 5.10pm clash with the second last placed Sharks in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, could help lift the Die Streeptruie off the bottom.  

However, Province assistant coach Dewaldt Duvenage knows klapping former Stormer Willie Engelbrecht’s Pumas will be tough as the visitors will be desperate for a win to put themselves back in contention for a spot in the semi-finals.

Knowing they also have a chance to be spoilsports and ruin the Pumas’ playoff hopes, Duvenage wysed: “The boys are buzzing at the opportunity to play at home, in front of their families and our faithful supporters.

“It is a real honour for them to play in the blue-and-white hoops and we are going out there to play for pride.

“We deserve a W [win] and that is our main focus for this game.”

Of what is will take to break their duck, he added: “We are striving to put in that full 80-minute effort and finally get that win. I want that for this group of boys.”

Meanwhile, Boland can take one step closer to securing a home semi if they beat the Sharks tomorrow and possibly grab top spot on the log.

That depends on the result of Friday's 5pm clash when log leaders the Cheetahs tackle third-placed Griquas in Bloemfontein.

In Saturday's 2pm kickoff at Ellis Park, the Lions (fourth) and Bulls (sixth) will also fight it out for a semi-final spot. 

Currie Cup fixtures:

Friday: Cheetahs v Griquas, 5pm

Saturday: Lions v Bulls, 2pm, Sharks v Boland, 5.10pm