Old Boys out to seal the deal

ADEFINING weekend of Border club rugby action could be on the cards as runaway Super League leaders MPM Old Selbornians look to seal the title with a game to spare.

Old Boys will be travelling to Alice for a massive clash against the University of Fort Hare Blues today, with the Blues still in with a mathematical chance of finishing top, should results go their way.

Old Boys just need a win to make sure of the title.

“I think if we don't look to win this weekend we make life very complicated and start relying on external factors, so the focus is to put out our best team and perform to our best,” Old Boys coach James Winstanley said.

“They are preparing for the Universities Week next week, so they will have their best team available. “They will be organised and they will be looking to use this game to gain some momentum, so it will be very tough.”

For the Blues, they come into the match off of a morale-boosting win over rivals, the Walter Sisulu University All Blacks, and will be in confident mood. “This is the match we have been waiting for. We have been looking forward to facing Old Boys and we are very excited for the match,” Blues coach Ntyatyambo Mkhafu said.

“It is going to be a massive match and the guys are ready for it.”

Old Boys will however be the favourites, even away from home, as they are unbeaten so far in this year’s Super League and they will be odds-on to wrap up the league.

“We have done everything right up until this point, so we just need to keep doing the same thing and put in another big effort,” Winstanley said.

“We have won a couple of tough games away from home this season, so we are confident that we can do it again.”

Aiming to take advantage of the Old Boys v Blues match – if results go their way – will be defending Super League champs, Swallows, who are currently second on the log on points difference over the Blues and will be hoping for an upset so that they can cut the deficit at the top.

With Swallows expected to take all five points against bottom-of-the-table Cambridge, they know that a win for the Blues should keep them in the hunt for the title.

The Walter Sisulu University All Blacks will be aiming to bounce back from their past weekend’s loss when they host Winter Rose in Potsdam.

The All Blacks should be able to get back on the winning track and stay among the top sides on the table.

The resurgent Police team will be hosting Ntlaza Lions at Police Park.

Police were struggling in the bottom half of the table at a stage early this season but now find themselves riding high in third place on the log and could move up to third by the end of the weekend.

Ntlaza will however be looking to impress and they will be going all out against Police.

Other matches see some bottom half of the table clashes when Berlin Tigers, who are eighth on the log, host second-from-bottom Ocean Sweepers at the Berlin Rugby Field and third-from-bottom Breakers host sixth on the log Buffs in Queenstown.

All matches kick off this afternoon at 3.30pm.